Avenger's Destiny
by Raven Ariana
Summary: She didnt know what was going to happen when she was sent on a mission to retrieve two scrolls with her friends. But with the Akatsuki now on her trail for the scrolls, and a reunion with her teammate, what, exactly, can happen? SasuSaku
1. Prologue: Memory

_Hey! This is my first Naruto fanfic, so go easy on me, 'kay? It's mostly based on the manga, but there are some variations here and there. I have created several new characters of my own, but they will appear later. My friends have commented on it and some have said that the characters are slightly out... but they are that way to suit the storyline. You'll understand after you finish reading..._

_Ready? Read on!_

Avenger's Destiny

Prologue- Memory.

回想

She heaved a sigh as she neared the bridge. The bridge where they used to meet.

Feeling the gentle breeze caress her rosy cheeks and pink locks, Haruno Sakura leaned against the railing, staring at the clear， still water. The smooth pebbles at the bed of the stream shimmered in the sunlight; her reflection stared, blankly, expressionlessly back at her from the surface of the water. Sakura let her thoughts drift.

How long had it been? She'd lost count. She hadn't seen him in _years_. Long enough for memories to fade, but never, _ever_ long enough to heal, or to forget.

Everything had started to crumble ever since he left. It had taken so much time, so much courage for her to be able to stand upright and walk through those two dreaded places again without crumbling from emotion.

Emotion. Her greatest weakness, huh? It hurt to know that. Even if emotions were what made people human, there was no room for emotion in a shinobi's life. Because _everything_ could be taken away in a split second, because nothing lasted. Relationships only distracted you from your mission, your goal.

The cherry blossom was so caught up in her own train of thoughts that she hardly noticed when her former sensei walked up and stood right beside her, watching their reflections in the gently rippling water.

"Sakura," he said her name quietly, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei?" the girl said absently. She didn't jolt. She was used to his sudden appearances, and she wasn't the Hokage's apprentice for nothing.

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" he asked simply, leaning against the railing as well.

She nodded, looking downwards.

"Hai, sensei,"

Silence reigned as the non-verbal understanding of loss bonded both student and teacher together. Loss of a comrade, a person they cared for.

"You know, you should really stop calling me 'sensei', Sakura," Kakashi said suddenly. "You're a chunnin now… and I've stopped teaching you guys a long time ago…"

"It's a habit, actually," Sakura admitted, before adding slyly. "So what d'you want me to call you? _Ojisan_? (1)"

Immediately the colour of Kakashi's face changed, even if it was just slightly.

"_I- am not- __old__!" _

The pink-haired girl grinned. Annoying Kakashi was always fun, because he was usually _infuriatingly_ calm.

"Prove it," Sakura challenged. "With that mask of yours, you could grow a _beard_ in there and I'd never know," she said nonchalantly, not really expecting him to meet her dare. After all, what lay under Kakashi's ever-present mask had been Team 7's mystery ever since they met him.

Kakashi stood still for a moment, contemplating his next move.

Then wordlessly, he pulled off the blue, ever present fabric on his face, and pulled up his Konoha headband to reveal his whole face to Sakura. What had he to lose?

"_There_. I'm not old," Kakashi retorted indignantly, glaring at his student. It had become a game between them, this kind of pointless banter. But even though he wouldn't admit it, Kakashi enjoyed these moments. He didn't have to worry about life when he was with Sakura and Naruto – all he had to care about was his pride. Those two could deliver painful blows to his ego with words.

Silver spikes fell over his ebony eye, his red Sharingan seemed to glisten in the morning sunlight. His face was slightly long; his smile was warm despite his earlier retort. His features were handsome, his profile remarkable.

"Yes, you're not," Sakura admitted with a sad smile before falling back into silence, staring into the water once again.

The slim, green leaves of the bamboo trees by the bank of the river swayed in the breeze, making pleasant swishing sounds. The sakura trees let their beautiful pink blossoms fly, each as soft as felt, caressing Sakura's cheeks gently before falling onto the water and floating towards the unknown beyond.

"Why don't you move on, Sakura?" Kakashi asked another question, staring down into the water as he fingered his gloves. "So many boys are after you, despite your big forehead… myself included," Kakashi grinned as he said the last part.

Sakura rolled her eyes, knowing that he was joking, yet longed to give him a long-awaited facelift for the comment about her forehead. But she stayed silent.

"Why don't you give them a chance?" Kakashi added in a quieter tone, leaning lazily against the bridge railing. "You can't always be alone, you know… he isn't coming back,"

Kakashi felt her stiffen as he mentioned 'him'.

"Because, _ojisan,_ I don't feel anything for them," Sakura finally said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "And you?" she added in a softer tone. "Why don't you ever show your face? Don't you want to get a girlfriend? Even Asuma and Kurenai are openly dating now, and ugh, I can't believe it, but even _Gai-_sensei, of all people, claims to have an admirer… where does that leave you?"

"The people I love died a long time ago, Sakura…" Kakashi spoke, his tone low. He seemed so nonchalant about it, but Sakura could tell that he had always missed them – and he always would.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei,"

Kakashi suddenly brightened. "Anyway, I hate girls fawning over me… like that Ayame girl at Ichiraku's… man… I've avoided that place ever since. No thanks to _you_ guys," he said dryly to Sakura.

Sakura laughed lightly. "Yeah, we were trying to see your face then… but Ino-pig popped up and ruined everything,"

"Poor Sasuke, though," Kakashi added, not thinking.

Sakura fell silent. Kakashi mentally slapped himself, but could find no words to lighten the blow of the memory.

The pink-haired kunoichi tried her hardest to keep her emotions in check, quickly changing the awkward topic.

"Eh, where's that little orange book of yours?" Sakura asked slyly, referring to his beloved series of Jiraiya's perverted books.

"Dumped it," Kakashi said simply. "Got boring after awhile, reading the same thing over and over again…"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "And it took you five years to come to that realization?"

"Eh… I heard that Jiraya-sama's publishing another book called…" Kakashi didn't give in so easily.

"I _don't _want to know," Sakura groaned, stopping him.

"I'm kidding!" Kakashi punched her lightly on the arm.

Sakura smiled, a genuine smile. Rarely had she seen Kakashi this relaxed around anyone. But then again, being a Jounin, a former ANBU member and all… he couldn't afford to let his guard down.

Then, as silence once again reigned, Sakura allowed herself to delve deeper, into the long hidden depths of her mind, to search for memories from so long ago…

N

_# Flashback_

"But- Hokage-sama-" a _much_ younger Sakura protested before the Godaime, pleading for a chance.

"No buts, Sakura. You can't handle this. I've assigned this task to Naruto and his team and you will _not_ get involved. Do I get myself clear?" Tsunade stood firm with her decision. It was tough, being Hokage. She barely had the heart to turn Sakura down, but she had to do it.

Defiant as she felt, Sakura could see no way around the Hokage's authority, and nodded, somewhat dejectedly.

Tsunade's expression softened considerably as she walked out from behind her desk, grasping the pink-haired kunoichi by the shoulders, feeling something... overwhelming in her.

"It's never easy to let go, you know? I've been through it before... but our duties... they must be fulfilled. Sasuke has chosen his path. You must choose _yours_,"

N

Sakura strode homeward, her feet dragging along the pavement as she walked. Her head was bowed, her eyes stared at the dull, grey ground. Her heart was heavy; a churning feeling remained constantly in her, the nagging feeling that something was wrong. Yet she could register none of those warning signals. She could only think about him, his leaving, his words.

She felt so useless.

It was spring, and Konoha was in all its glory. Cherry trees blossomed by the roadsides, the gentle breeze blew the felt-like petals resembling showers of blossoms off the branches. People laughed and children played. Peace was beautiful. But none of these did anything to lighten Sakura's mood.

Sasuke had left, just hours ago. A retrieval team had been sent after him- without her.

She wanted so badly to go... she had to get him back. She didn't want to think of him as a missing-nin. She didn't want him to be seen as a traitor to their village. He was her teammate, her comrade. She didn't want to let him go.

'**Naruto... please, get Sasuke back... I- I couldn't do it..."**

"**I'll bring him back, Sakura-chan! That's a promise of a lifetime!"**

A promise of a lifetime. Naruto's determination.

Why? Why did Sasuke have to hold on to revenge so much? Why couldn't he let things go? Why couldn't he forgive, and forget?

Her heart held a silent whisper.

'_I don't understand, Sasuke-kun..._'

A scream pierced through the air, breaking Sakura out of her reverie. With a jerk of horror, she realized where the heart-wrenching sound was coming from.

_Her_ house!

N

Terror gripping her, Sakura sprinted homeward, eyeing the ajar front door and items strewn all over the place with a rising feeling of dread swallowing her. Her body shook uncontrollably, fear overwhelming her from within.

What was happening?

Without a second thought, the pink-haired Haruno bolted into her house.

Only to be met by a grisly sight.

Her mother lay, unmoving, upon the floor. A kunai was struck right through her heart. And her father, covered in bloodied wounds, was desperately trying to protect her mother's body. A gang of rough, notorious Sound nins, probably robbers, were attacking them, continuously, without mercy.

Sakura knew her father's fate.

Haruno Heian (2) was never a ninja. Named after peace, he despised fighting, even though he was descended from a line of some of the greatest Konoha shinobis. He had always discouraged Sakura from choosing the path of a ninja, but with the Haruno blood running through her, she was irrepressible. And if that wasn't enough, her grandfather and mother backed her a hundred percent.

So Sakura got her way. Heian _always_ seemed to be displeased with her, no matter how hard she tried or how high she scored her exams, she could never hear a word of praise coming from his lips. Just as Sasuke yearned for his brother's acknowledgement and Naruto for the village's, she yearned for her father to recognize her, not as a ninja, but as his daughter.

She was disappointed, and at a point in time, she simply stopped trying. She didn't tell him about school, about the academy. Nothing. It was as if they had lost touch, lost the thread that connected them as family.

Now, Sakura stood there, unmoving and unspeaking. Pure terror whipped through her soul like a tornado, jumbling her usually calm mind. What could she do? _Stare_ Stand and stare.

One of the Sound nins suddenly noticed her, standing rigidly in the doorway.

"Your daughter, Haruno?" he mocked Heian. "What a pretty face… why don't we kill this pathetic idiot and take her instead, eh?"

"Why not?" Another one leered, advancing with a hungry grin in his eyes. Sakura subconsciously backed away.

"But… that forehead spoils the looks, though… so _big_…" a comment was heard from the other side of the room, sneering, drawing laughs from most of the ninjas.

Something within the cherry blossom snapped.

If there was one thing Sakura would not tolerate, it was comments on her forehead. She was suddenly jolted back to her senses. Her courage built, even though her knees shook beneath.

'_**You're afraid…**_**'** a voice mocked from the back of the head.

'_I'm not!' _

'_**You are… admit it…'**_

'_Dammit! I- AM NOT- __AFRAID__!'_ Sakura screamed into the empty vertex of her mind, and the voice left her alone.

"Back off," she snarled loudly at the ninjas, flipping two kunais out of her pouch and holding them in a cross formation before her in a defensive stance. She knew she didn't stand a chance against them, but she couldn't leave now. Not when they had done that to her parents.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" one smirked. "What boldness in your daughter, Haruno… haven't you been teaching her _manners_?"

"Leave my father _out _of this," Sakura's voice was soft and dangerous, a hard fist flew up and grazed the man's cheek in a painful swipe, and he staggered back in surprise.

"Aww… isn't that sweet?" A sound nin with a scarred slash across his left cheek kicked his fallen comrade aside and approached Sakura, his dirty blond hair in spikes. The expression in his queer blue eyes lingered upon her face as he lifted a finger and traced it across her jaw. "It's eight on one, honey; do you think that's fair? Let's just say you come _quietly_ and**- AARGH!"**

He grasped his bleeding wrist with his right hand. While he had been busy leering at her, Sakura had driven her kunai into his wrist out of pure rage, her emerald eyes fiery.

"She isn't alone,"

A deep male voice suddenly rang out. Everyone in the house whirled around. Sakura felt a slight wave of relief when she saw a familiar brown-haired kunoichi enter.

Tenten barged in, two kunais in hand that went straight through the heart of two nins that tried to block her. In a split second her katana and shurikens were at hand, too. Ino, Hinata and their fathers followed swiftly, Kakashi taking up the rear. They had heard Tsume's scream.

Surprise was clearly etched upon the Sound ninjas' faces.

"Ino, Hinata, help Sakura and Heian-san," Hyuuga Hiashi directed forcefully. "Tenten, get the Hokage-sama and backup _immediately_! Three of us can hold the fort here. **GO**!"

Ino and Hinata knelt down beside the sobbing Sakura, who was holding her father's hand so tight, it was white. There was a big gash on his abdomen that was bleeding profusely. Already Heian's face was completely pale. His breath was ragged; life was leaving him quickly.

"Sa-Sakura…" he breathed, with obvious difficulty.

"Hang on, chichioya (3)…" Sakura whispered. "You're gonna be alright…"

"No, Sakura. Listen – to me… Tsume wanted – me to – tell you that she loves you… she wants you to know that - she will always watch over you…" the head of the Haruno clan said weakly, stopping as he coughed up blood. "I finally - understand what it takes to be a ninja, Sakura… courage to stand, even when on the brink of defeat… undying loyalty and willpower… and… the strength that _I_ had failed to summon…"

Hot tears streamed down Sakura's cheeks. How could she have ever thought that her father did not love her? It was all because of his pride that he kept his praise for her in check. All this while he had been guilt-ridden, unable to pass on any clan secrets to her because of his refusal to learn them before.

"Revive our clan's secrets, Sakura… you're the – only one left – and you will be a great ninja someday… promise… me…" Heian smiled weakly as he gently pressed a scrap of old parchment into his daughter's palm.

"Yes… chichioya… I promise…"Sakura whispered, resisting the urge to scream, to murder every last one of those pathetic killers who had taken away the last of her family.

"I – love – you, Sakura… my – daughter…" Haruno Heian smiled for the last time, closing his eyes.

N

Hiashi felt murderous. The Harunos, some of his oldest and closest friends, were dead because of these bastards. He made every hit count, sealing up their chakra points with such intense fury that the mediocre Sound nins never stood a chance. If he didn't kill them, he made sure that they would never be of any use on the battlefield anymore.

On the outside, the Hyuuga head looked perfectly calm and composed, as any ninja should be in battle, but his insides were boiling with rage. He would never forgive those who killed his friends, who destroyed a comrade.

He hadn't been in time to save Haruno Heian and Tsume. He had failed as a friend.

N

Luring several ninjas outside, Yamanaka Inoichi sent his Fuuma Shuriken slicing through the air at the sound nins. His long blond hair swayed to his movements, his clear, sky blue eyes burned with anger as he battled against the sound ninjas.

How had they gotten into Konoha, and what did they want from the Harunos?

N

Kakashi remembered the look on Sakura's face as his Sharingan copied the Sound's jutsus effectively and easily, enabling him to use their strength against them. The sound blasts produced hit the ninjas square, each stronger and more destructive than the last. Memories of Obito and Rin, his long gone comrades, resurfaced in his mind, the people who had killed them…

His eyes narrowed, he attacked with renewed fervor as his famed Chidori sizzled and sparked in the palm of his hand.

N

By sheer luck, Tenten found a whole group of Jounins just back from missions and being debriefed in Tsunade's office. Without bothering to knock, or to heed Shizune's call behind her, the weapons mistress barged in, only to see half the Jounins already poised with their weapons in hand.

"Tenten, _what is the meaning of this_?" Tsunade barked dangerously, stepping up to confront the brown-haired kunoichi. She hated interruptions.

Panting and sweating profusely, Tenten spoke in between breaths. "Gomen, (4) Hokage-sama! But several Sound nins have broken into Haruno-san's house and killed Haruno Heian and Tsume!"

There was a moment of stunned silence.

"What?" Tsunade said in a strained whisper, staring at her in disbelief. Sound nins… how on earth had they gotten in, hadn't the security at the gates been tightened? It was several moments before she regained herself, and grabbing Tenten by the arm, she dashed, very un-Hokage like, out onto the streets of Konoha.

N

When Tsunade, Tenten and the group of Jounins arrived at the Haruno residence, Hiashi, Inoichi and Kakashi were still fighting ferociously, the last few of the Sound nins left were undoubtedly the more skilled ones. Already a crowd had gathered, but not being ninjas themselves, they knew better than to get involved.

Sarutobi Asuma, standing behind Tsunade, narrowed his eyes as he lunged forward and caught a Sound nin by the cuff of his shirt. Yuuhi Kurenai, Maito Gai and the rest of the Jounins tackled one ninja each, and soon Tsunade had the man with the scarred face and dirty blond hair by the neck. Seemingly, he was the leader.

No one had ever seen Tsunade this mad before. With unbelievable strength, her slender frame lifted the man's bulk and slammed him against a nearby wall, demanding in a dangerous tone that indicated clearly: _I. Want. Answers._

"Who sent you? Who told you to kill the Harunos?"

N

"_Orochimaru-sama wants their family secrets, lady…" the man said in a sneering fashion as he eyed Tsunade hungrily. "In the meantime, why don't you and I-"_

_Before the man ever completed his sentence, Tsunade punched the living daylights out of him in one powerful swipe._

N

Sakura kneeled before the monument set up in honour of her parents, flanked by her sympathetic friends. The rest of the village stood behind them, Tsunade in the lead, with the heads of the largest clans in Konoha behind her.

Heian had been a well-respected man despite his opposition of the ninjas. It was only now that Sakura realized what a man her father had been, how he always visited the poorer streets of Konoha and offer help to the helpless, how he always lent a hand in every situation, how he cared, how he nurtured.

The whole of Konoha was gathered to pay their respects to the dead. Dressed in black, the pink-haired kunoichi's tears had already dried upon her cheeks. Her mind, usually whirling with thoughts and ideas, had gone blank. Her startling emerald eyes had lost their glow, it was glossy and… empty, haunting. She thought of nothing. Words of consolation failed to console.

She finally understood how Sasuke felt. She finally understood his absolute need for revenge, the boiling anger bottled up within. In a way, she had had her revenge, the Sound nins had been either killed or caught, but strangely, she felt no satisfaction. Revenge was not _hers_. She did not kill them, even if she wished to. She felt no pleasure at seeing the ninjas dead, it reminded her too much of her parents.

Revenge, she learnt, is not sweet. It simply deepens the bitterness in one's heart.

Silence was vital to her. No more wailing, no more crying, no more mourning. She wanted silence.

And that very night, as she lay on the bed in Ino's house with Ino, Tenten and Hinata surrounding her with pity etched in their faces, Sakura got what she wanted. Complete, absolute, _silence._

And she cried into the arms of her friends, not stopping, not ceasing, listening to the mournful echoes of her pitiful sobs throughout the long, dreary night.

N

The next morning, before anyone else in the house, or in the village, for that matter, Sakura woke and dressed quietly. Her face was expressionless. She still felt nothing. Numbness flooded her soul.

She did not dress in her black mourning dress, as was the tradition. People would talk, but she didn't care. She had promised her father she would be a ninja, not an orphaned girl whose only occupation was to cry. She would move on.

Quickly descending the stairs, Sakura slipped quietly out of the house, leaving a note behind her, so that her friends wouldn't worry.

Tilting her head up to look at the hues of dawn against the blue sky, Sakura set of towards her destination- the Hokage Tower.

N

"Come in, Sakura," Tsunade's voice rang out even before the cherry blossom's fist touched the impressive mahogany door. Taking a deep breath, Sakura entered, feeling meek.

For once, Tsunade's sake bottles were nowhere to be seen, the room smelled pleasantly of the cool, fresh morning air. The Godaime Hokage looked tired, but alert.

"What do you want, Sakura?" Tsunade asked quietly. There was a hint of motherliness and kindness to her tone, immediately reminding Sakura of her own mother. Quickly shifting her thoughts, Sakura blurted out her request, her knees shaking beneath her.

"Can-can you- make me your apprentice, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade looked slightly taken aback, and for a split second, Sakura was afraid that her request might be turned down. But then, her hopes rose again as a smile slowly spread upon the older kunoichi's face, despite her efforts to look stern.

'_This girl has guts. I like her,'_ Tsunade thought. Out loud, she set her rules for Sakura.

"I'm warning you right now. Normally, I don't accept students, but since Kakashi says that you have perfect chakra control, which is vital for a medic nin…. I'm making an exception. Consider this a favour,"

Sakura nodded quickly as the Hokage continued.

"I will _not_ go easy on you, and I will _not_ tolerate complaints, unpunctuality, disobedience, and most of all, I will _not _tolerate crying. Are you clear?"

The pink-haired girl nodded again, a wave of confidence filling her slightly. Tsunade smiled inwardly.

"Are you sure you're ready? Like Shizune once told me, there's hardly any 'life' of your own once you become my apprentice,"

Sakura looked suddenly determined. "I'm ready."

"Good," This time, Tsunade smiled at her. "You start- tomorrow,"

_# End of Flashback_

N

"Eh, Sakura," Kakashi's voice snapped her out of her reverie. Once again, she was her present self, her memories behind her, standing on the bridge with her sensei.

"Huh?" Sakura questioned his interruption.

"Sorry to break you out of that 'temporary coma' of yours, but Tsunade just called with a mission for you,"

"Mm… thanks. Are you coming?" the pink-haired kunoichi asked, straightening and stretching.

"Apparently, I'm on the 'wanted' list, too, so, yes. See ya," Kakashi grinned, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Sakura smiled, turning to walk away. Kakashi liked moving fast, (though she couldn't understand why he was _always_ late) but she preferred the good old method of walking to get to places.

Turning back for one last look at the beautiful bridge, Sakura let her past wash over her again, so distant, yet so unforgettable.

Five years… had gone so fast. From that smart, easily frightened girl of twelve, she had evolved into a lady of seventeen.

Strong. Capable. Patient. Loyal.

Those were the values she prided herself for. She could've made her father proud. Sakura tilted her head skywards, to be met by a shower of cherry blossoms. Watching the cloud formations, the kunoichi knew her father was watching over her, with her mother. Somewhere up there.

Smiling gently, Sakura whispered. "Chichioya… okasan (6)… you're proud of me, aren't you?"

She had lost three precious people on that fateful day that had changed her life, her reasons for living. And she remembered one thing.

Ever since that night, she had never let another tear glisten in her emerald eyes.

N

_Heh... how was that? Hope the prologue got you interested... oh yeah, here are some word translations:-_

_(1) __ojisan__- grandfather_

_(2) __Heian__- peace_

_(3) __chichioya__- father/ dad_

_(4) __gomen__ – sorry_

_(5) __okasan__- mother/ mom_

_So? You know what to do... C'mon, leave me a review..._

_-Raven Ariana-_


	2. Chapter 1: Missions?

_Haha... first chapter up after prologue! Thanks for all the reviews and your wonderful support! I've thanked most of my reviewers personally, and for those I left out, I'm sorry, and thanks a lot again!_

_Three of Sakura's loved ones gone in a single day... what next?_

_Enjoy the story!_

N

Chapter 1- Missions?

一 – 目的

Shizune led Sakura to Tsunade's office door, knocking as both entered.

The pink haired kunoichi was surprised to see nearly all her friends lined up in her shishou's office, and felt a slight pang of guilt for being late- it was obvious that everyone was waiting for her.

"Ohayo, Tsunade-sama," Sakura greeted.

"Ohayo, Sakura," Tsunade smiled at her student, waving off Sakura who was about to apologize for being late.

Sakura smiled thankfully and took her place between Naruto and Neji, with Ino, Kiba, Shikamaru, Tenten, Hinata and Chouji surrounding them. For a moment, Sakura surveyed her friends proudly. Neji and Shikamaru were already jounins in their own right, the rest were Konoha's top chunnins, and she, Naruto, Kiba and Tenten were due to take the Jounin exams in two months' time. Sakura had felt elated when she was selected as a chunnin after the exams. She could finally feel the pride of being a ninja…

The cherry blossom observed all the others in the room. It seemed that all of Konoha's elite were gathered here, in Tsunade's office. Kakashi-sensei stood behind Tsunade, Umuino Iruka, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuuhi Kurenai, Maito Gai and others flanking them.

She was brought sharply back to earth by the sound of the Godaime Hokage's voice.

"All right! Now that everyone's assembled-" Tsunade turned to Gai questioningly. "Where's Lee?"

"Lee was needed at home urgently, Hokage-sama!" Gai stiffened like a statue and saluted, his bright smile nearly blinding everyone in the room.

Tsunade suppressed a laugh at Gai's infamous pose, but Sakura caught her, and smiled inwardly. "It's all right, Gai, He's going on a mission with them, you can send him to me later and I will brief him," there was a slight twinkle in her eyes as Tsunade glanced at her apprentice, a knowing look between them.

"Your mission first," she then faced the rest of the chunnins, leaning against her desk.

Everyone around her, Sakura noticed, seemed to stand a little straighter.

"You have a ten-man team. I have included almost everyone around your ages because it seems that you and your abilities work well together," Tsunade began.

Kiba raised a hand. "Hokage-sama, Shino…"

"Shino and his father have a mission elsewhere," the fifth Hokage explained. He will not be joining you. But for now- back to the mission. You will be travelling west to the Wind Country to source out Deidara,"

"Man, does it take ten of us to tackle that _one _guy?" Naruto complained loudly. Kakashi and Iruka shot him death glares, which, unfortunately, the hyperactive ninja failed to notice.

Tsunade, used to Naruto's boisterous behavior, continued calmly. "It's rumoured that Deidara is after some secret scrolls that used to belong to one of Konoha's clans,"

"Which clan, Hokage-sama?" Ino asked, suddenly interested.

"Of that we're not sure," Tsunade answered. "But those scrolls _must _be retrieved. They contain the secrets of a special technique that can be horrendously destructive if used in the wrong way. And-" Tsunade turned to face Naruto. "To answer Naruto's question, our sources tell us that Deidara has an unidentified companion,"

Naruto looked confused while Sakura rolled her eyes. That guy _really_ needed to use his brain more…

For awhile, Tsunade's office was silent, and only the sweet chirping of birds just outside her window trilled through the silence. Tsunade reached across her table and retrieved two scrolls perilously close to the edge of her overcrowded table.

"Neji, Shikamaru," she commanded. The duo mentioned stepped forward tentatively. "Both of you will be co-leading this mission as jounins. Your team consists of two Byakugan users, one taijutsu specialist, a weapons mistress, a soul-switcher, an animal specialist, a lazy genius, an Akimichi heir, my own apprentice and last, but not least, the loudest ninja in all of Konoha,"

"Not to mention the loudest ninja anywhere _else_," Kiba commented under his breath. Fortunately, Naruto had failed to hear him, otherwise hell would've broken loose.

Tsunade did not notice Kiba's remark, either, and continued, smirking, to the two jounins in front of her. "You should have _no_ problems with your team… right?"

Shikamaru and Neji sweatdropped. Tsunade tossed the scrolls towards them, beckoning them to open it. Eagerly, the rest of the team crowded around to see its contents, with a loud brawl in between as Kiba and Naruto fought to get a better view of the scrolls. Kakashi and Kurenai exchanged pained looks at their students' childish antics, while Asuma chuckled between them, chewing on his cigarette.

Sakura, now with a vein throbbing in her forehead, grabbed Kiba by his hood and Naruto by his collar and lifted them easily. "Get _off_ each other and _shut up_ already," she said through clenched teeth. Everyone was staring.

Kiba and Naruto replied meekly. "Yes, ma'am," Akamaru shook inside Kiba's shirt, terrified of the kunoichi. Sakura placed Naruto at one end of the room and Kiba at the other.

"Stay there. And. Do. Not._ Move." _

Her voice was warning enough. The two bickering boys had to be contented with glaring at each other from opposite ends of Tsunade's office.

'_I can't believe they're actually **seventeen**,'_ Sakura thought viciously as she joined the rest of her team.

Tsunade observed her student's handiwork with a smile. She'd taught Sakura well, after all…

Breaking out of her reverie, Tsunade approached the group. "The two scrolls… one of them is a map. The other is a permit to enter Sunagakure. The Kazekage knows of this mission and he is prepared to help. Your objective for this mission is to retrieve the scrolls before Deidara, and according to the information we've received, the scrolls are hidden in a cave, somewhere up North of the Wind Country. Your second objective is to collect information about Deidara's companion. He seems to be a formidable enemy, at any rate,"

The group of chunnins nodded silently. Sakura's hand went up.

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Will there be any possibility of us meeting Uchi-" Sakura stopped mid-sentence, not wanting to mention the name at all. "Will there be any chance of us meeting Itachi?"

Many expressions hardened at the mention of the traitor's name, but Tsunade simply looked nonchalant. "No, Sakura. Itachi is supposedly in the Rock Country sourcing out another jinchuuriki, and Deidara's companion is not Itachi. If there were even the slightest possibility of him being anywhere there… I won't send you alone. Any more questions?"

This time, Neji spoke. "Hokage-sama, since Deidara is part of Akatsuki, and we have not identified his companion… what about Naruto's safety? How do we know that this is not part of a ploy to capture him instead of getting the scrolls?"

"We cannot know for sure, that is a risk we'll have to take. _But-_ I trust Naruto can protect himself," Tsunade said with a knowing smile. "He isn't one to give in… at least, not until he achieves his 'dream' of sorts…"

"You bet!" Naruto cheered from his corner. "I'm gonna live until I become Hokage!"

'_Really can't underestimate that boy, can I?'_ Neji thought with a twitch to his lips, glancing at Naruto.

"Now, if you have no more questions… you may be dismissed for your own briefing and equipment check. You leave at 4 tomorrow morning," Tsunade waved a hand, and the young ninjas filed out, murmuring amongst themselves.

N

Nine ninjas gathered outside the Hokage Tower, forming a circle surrounding Neji and Shikamaru.

"Okay, guys…" Neji began, but stopped when Akimichi Chouza, Chouji's father, approached the group with a nervous smile on his chubby face.

"Ohayo, Chouza-san," the group greeted respectfully. The large, red-haired man greeted them back, while beginning to speak.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to borrow Chouji for a moment," Chouza began. "It's very urgent,"

Everyone nodded, and the brown-haired shinobi followed his father a little further off, where Chouza said something in low tones to his son. An inexplicable expression spread over Chouji's face as his father spoke, a combination of controlled worry and slight panic. Nodding quickly to his father, Chouji joined the group again.

"Sorry, guys… seems like I can't join you for this mission… I've got some serious family business to attend to. Don't worry, my father will do the explaining to the Hokage later," Chouji apologized quietly, looking not very much like his usual self.

The group nodded understandingly. "Bye, Chouji… hope you solve your problems soon," Shikamaru clapped a hand on his best friend's shoulder comfortingly.

Chouji waved his goodbyes as he left with his father.

As usual, Ino was her over-excited, extravagant self, jumping and waving to her teammate. "Goodbye and stay safe, you fat-"

Immediately Shikamaru's hand slapped over Ino's big mouth.

"INO! What did I say about that word?" he glared.

Ino shrugged sheepishly.

N

Sakura finished packing the last of her equipment and stuff into her light brown backpack, zipped it up and plopped down onto her soft bed in her own room. She sighed as she thought of leaving Konoha for the upcoming mission; there was still plenty to do at the hospital, patients waiting to be cured. People who counted on her. To be actually put in charge of something… it was a first for Sakura back then. She used to be the loser, the one who tailed behind instead of leading. Tsunade had given her a whole new lease of life when she offered Sakura the post of head-medic.

'_One thing good about leaving though… Tsunade-sama will have to manage her own paperwork for awhile,'_ Sakura thought smugly, slightly elated at the thought of escaping her shishou's paperwork.

"Hey, Sakura! Are you coming or not?" Tenten knocked on her room door. "We promised to meet Ino and Hinata, remember?"

"Yeah, in a moment, Tenten," Sakura jumped up with another sigh, reaching for the hairbrush on her dresser to comb out her messy tresses while pulling open her wardrobe door to retrieve some fresh clothes.

When Sakura had finally managed to get over her phobia of returning to her own home, Tenten had volunteered to move in with her. After all, the Haruno residence was no small place, and besides, Tenten was living alone as well. With her friends had hand, Sakura found it much easier to handle her haywire emotions, and soon the Haruno residence became a popular meeting place for the four close friends and other Konoha shinobis.

Sakura stepped out of the room, dressed in her usual red sleeveless uniform. Her emerald eyes eyed both the long staircase and the banister critically, before she took a running leap and swung over the banister, landing in a perfect crouch at the bottom floor.

"Geez, Sakura… stop being such a daredevil!" Tenten smiled at her friend. "You're gonna break a lot of bones someday…"

Sakura laughed. She never took Tenten seriously when the weapons mistress said these things; both knew that a kunoichi was perfectly capable of doing that without getting hurt. Sakura beckoned to Tenten enthusiastically.

"Let's go! I want to buy some flowers from Ino's place,"

N

Hinata and Ino were already waiting outside the Yamanaka Flower Shop, the former watching some kids at play with a shy smile while the latter was tapping her foot impatiently and complaining loudly.

"Man, Ino… have some patience! We're not even late!" Sakura laughed as she walked into the shop, greeting Ino's pretty mother with a smile.

"The usual, Sakura?" Ino's mother asked.

"Yes, Yamanaka-san," Sakura visited the shop often, to get all kind of flowers for her patients. Sure, she had to splurge a little, but her salary was sufficient and she liked to see their smiling faces. But Ino's mother knew today's occasion and the exact flowers Sakura wanted.

Swiftly she handed Sakura a beautifully arranged bouquet of white lilies, Heian's favourite flower, and roses, Tsume's absolute weakness. She had been prepared.

When the pink-haired kunoichi offered payment, Ino's mother immediately rejected.

"Treat it as a gift from us to your parents. Besides, you're a regular customer here…" the woman smiled, retorting as Sakura made her accept the money. "Eh- I said no payment, or I'm going to chase you out with my trimming scissors!"

"Arigatou!" Sakura thanked her happily, walking out to join her friends.

Today was the fifth anniversary of her parents' deaths. Every year, all three of her closest friends would accompany Sakura to her parents' graves to pay their respects. And every year, Sakura left those very same flowers for them.

Before their graves, Sakura knelt and placed the flowers on the small altar.

"Chichioya… Okasan… I've got so much to tell you…"

N

Sakura walked down the peaceful streets on her own. She'd spent about two hours at her parents' graves, and then Tenten left for sparring practice with Neji. (At _least,_ that's what they called it…) Ino had promised to help out at her family's shop as her parents were going out that night. Hinata was going to a fair with her sister, Hanabi, at Naruto's treat. And so she was alone.

Alone… that sensation was always familiar to her now. Oftentimes, she would feel the pang at her heart when she saw her friends hanging out with the boys. They asked her to go along, in the name of politeness, but she refused, knowing that she wouldn't really fit in. She wondered if this was how Sasuke used to feel. If so… it was painful.

Suddenly, Sakura spotted Konoha's Green Beast walking dejectedly in the opposite direction, his coconut head bowed and his thick brows furrowed.

"Hey, Lee-san!" she called after him. When the taijutsu specialist saw his childhood crush, his face immediately broke into a grin.

"Sakura-san!"

"Hey…" Sakura greeted back. "Have you been to see Tsunade-sama yet?" Sakura questioned, remembering Tsunade's request.

"Yes!" Lee saluted. (exactly like Gai at that) "I have met the Hokage, and I have heard about our mission. However, I am disappointed as Gai-sensei has refused to train with me today. He says that he has to bid his 'beautiful flower' (Sakura assumed this was Gai's secret love) a most emotional and painful goodbye before he leaves for his mission… he assures me that my 'flame of youth' will not wear out just yet, but I am doubtful…" Rock Lee said dolefully.

Sakura resisted the urge to laugh; it would be really unkind of her. "It won't, Lee-san… trust me. You're one of the most energetic people I know, after Naruto-kun,"

Lee brightened.

"Arigatou, Sakura-san! Oh, and Kakashi-sensei wants you to meet him at 'the place'. He says you would know what it means…"Lee said, slightly confused.

"Yes, I do, Lee-san. Arigatou!"

Happily, Lee struck his 'good guy' pose, complete with thick eyebrows, shining teeth, thumbs up and all.

N

Sakura made her way through the thinning forest; her only source of light was the dimming sunset in the horizon. Stepping out onto the clearing where they had first trained with Kakashi, Sakura sighed. She remembered the first morning so well…

She'd never been a morning person… _then_. She remembered how she'd dragged herself all the way there while Sasuke looked as fresh as the morning sun. (A rather _grumpy _morning sun, though) She smiled slightly and looked around her.

That Jounin sure lived up to his name. Late, as usual, as always. Sakura vaguely wondered what it would take to get him _anywhere_ on time. She watched the last golden rays of the sun glaze the green leaves, feeling the pinch at her heart as she remembered every tree their weapons had struck on, the bushes they used to hide behind, the rocks they'd blasted apart, and… the visible parting of the ground that she'd created, during their second bell-retrieving mission with Kakashi.

Sakura closed her eyes and smiled… but it wasn't because of the memories.

"You can come out now, Kakashi-sensei… I know you're behind the second tree to my left,"

Sheepishly the Copy Ninja stepped out, a sweatdrop forming behind his head. "Looks like you're really good," he said, laughing nervously. "I even took the trouble to conceal my chakra presence,"

"Face it, Kakashi-sensei… you're getting old. Besides, I'm a medic nin, chakra _is_ my specialty," Sakura smirked, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed. "But… seeing as you're only fifteen minutes late… I'll call that an improvement,"

"Thirty-one isn't old," Kakashi said dryly.

"For you it is," Sakura retorted.

N

"I'm going on an S-rank mission tomorrow…" Kakashi explained seriously as both teacher and student sat against a tree, gazing at the brilliantly lit, starry night. Sakura's gloved hands were wrapped around her knees, her pink hair grazing the sides of her cheeks. "I get the feeling that I might need your help," he explained his purpose for calling her.

"You do remember that I have a mission of my own, or is your thirty-one year old brain not very capable of that?" Sakura teased, trying to keep her face straight.

Kakashi chose to ignore the later remark. "You're quite close to my destination, if you ask me,"

"So, basically, you want me to abandon my team in the middle of nowhere and come running to save your sorry butt," Sakura shot back at him.

"That's a tad too harsh, Sakura. I may just need _some_ help,"

Sakura snorted. "Some help? From your _student_? Kakashi-sensei, have your skills deteriorated that much already? _Seriously_,"

"Hey, hey… hear me out!" Kakashi smirked.

"How are you going to contact me, at any rate?" Sakura continued asking skeptically.

Kakashi smiled a knowing smile. His gloved hand held up a crystal locket on a silver necklace that reflected the moonlight beautifully. Sakura looked incredulous.

"Please. Tell me you're _not_ considering the Binding Seal Jutsu,"

"Uh… well… I _am_ considering it," Kakashi said sheepishly. "This locket is bound with my chakra, so when I'm stuck in a desperate situation and need your help, I can just send out a wave of chakra and the locket will react… _please_? You know I can't trust Naruto or anyone else with this, besides, you're like my little sister…"

"Since when did you start begging? '_Little sister'_… haha." Sakura said dryly.

Silence.

"And do you have permission from Tsunade-sama to do this?" Sakura demanded. The Hokage was her guardian; Kakashi would have to go through her before anything else.

"I'm not such a rule-abider nowadays, Sakura… Obito gave me a part of him when he gave me the Sharingan," Kakashi grinned mischievously. "Which means being late and not abiding by rules,"

Sakura rolled her eyes. Her sensei could be so… irritating sometimes.

"Obito's legacy, huh? I'll take that as a 'no',"

"I _have_ Tsunade-sama's permission, Sakura…" Kakashi sighed in defeat. "She's your guardian and you're her favourite student… she'd skin me alive if anything happened to you,"

"Swear?" Sakura eyed him cautiously.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Man, this is childish,"

"Okay, fine," the pink-haired kunoichi sighed. "Just remember that Tsunade-sama _won't_ just skin you alive, she'll boil you, quarter you and feed you to the dogs if anything happens to me. I'll make sure of that," she threw him a sidelong glance.

A large, animated sweatdrop appeared behind Kakashi's head. "Got it," he said quickly.

Removing her black gloves, Sakura grasped the locket in both hands, bracing herself for the searing pain to come.

"You ready?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura nodded quietly.

"Azarashi no Jutsu!" (1) After completing a series of complicated handseals, Kakashi clapped his own gloved hands over hers and a burst of chakra enveloped their hands.

The crystal locket glowed red-hot within the confines of Sakura's hands, burning its mark into her palms as a searing pain ripped through her arms. Sakura hissed from the pain as she opened her hands. The outline of the locket was imprinted deeply into both palms.

"You'll be fine by tomorrow," Kakashi assured her as Sakura hung the locket around her neck.

"How am going to tell when you're in trouble?" Sakura asked, standing and flexing her fingers to ease the pain.

"You'll get the same sensation you just felt,"

"Oh, _great,_" the cherry blossom groaned. "So, if I'm in the middle of battle and you suddenly get it into your head to call for me, then I'm dead meat,"

Kakashi smirked. "The Sakura I know is a lot stronger than that,"

Silence ensued. Sakura carefully examined the embossed seal on her palms, fingering her fair skin as her thoughts focused on nothing, nothing at all. Just... blissful relaxation.

"Hey, you game to go out for dinner?" Kakashi suddenly asked his student.

Sakura glanced at him questioningly. "You mean- as in- _a date_?"

"If that's the way you want to see it..." the jounin said coyly, his one visible eye twinkling.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me,"

"I'm not," Kakashi faked a serious face, but immediately gave up the idea at the sight of the kunoichi's face. "_Fine_, as teacher and student, then. My treat,"

"Of course it's your treat. Did I say anything about paying?" Sakura glanced at him, a smile tugging at her lips.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Where d'you want to eat?" The former ANBU member stood up, ready to go.

Sakura jumped up beside him. "I was thinking of Ichiraku's... after all, _Ayame's_ there..." she looked at him slyly.

Her sensei stopped dead in his tracks. "There's absolutely _no way_-"

"Hey, chill! I was kidding!" Sakura laughed, seeing his expression. "Your face was _priceless_,"

"Hn,"

"Let's go to the fair, then... since Naruto's there with Hinata and Hanabi,"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "He finally asked her out?"

"Her little sister's tagging along. It's not even a real date, for goodness' sake," Sakura said dryly.

"Does that make a difference?" Kakashi's eye twinkled.

"Just keep quiet and be thankful that I haven't decided to invite Ino-pig's team along..." Sakura shot at him. "Chouji'll eat your money dry, you know..."

Kakashi shut his mouth.

N

When Kakashi and Sakura arrived at the Haruno residence after dinner, Neji was just walking Tenten home. The Hyuuga genius raised an eyebrow at seeing the duo together.

"You're _going out_?"

"No, she's going in," Kakashi said sarcastically. For some reason, he loved to irk Neji.

"As in, _dating_," Neji glared at his senior Jounin.

"We're just friends," Sakura said with a perfectly straight face. "Don't you start making assumptions, Hyuuga Neji... I haven't forgotten the time I beat you flat in sparring and carried you like a rag doll over my shoulder to the hospital to heal your wounds..."

Neji flushed and was about to retort when Tenten stopped him. "Quit it already, Neji... they're just friends,"

"Hn. _Right_," the Hyuuga snorted, turning on his heel with a slight smile after Tenten had given him a quick peck on the cheek. He walked off with his hands in his pockets, with a backward glance. "G'night, y'all..."

Kakashi grinned at Sakura, motioning slightly to her locket before disappearing.

Once they were inside the house, Tenten pounced on Sakura, laughing.

"All right, _spill._ Is there anything going on between you and Kakashi-sensei?"

"No! We're just_ friends_!" Sakura wriggled out from her friends grasp and took off to her room. Tenten laughed, knowing that the cherry blossom was telling the truth, but could not resist a bit of teasing.

"Don't think you'll get off so easy again next time, Haruno Sakura!"

In her room, Sakura smiled. "Geez, get off my case already!"

N

_Note: Kakashi and Sakura are **just friends**. Like I mentioned, they're more or less like brother and sister after Sasuke left._

_(1) **Azarashi no Jutsu**: I created that one myself. It's supposed to be a summoning or alerting jutsu for humans, where a locket is sealed with chakra into someone else, usually on the palms._

_So, how was that? You know the mission, and more twists are coming up! Sorry if the story is moving a bit slow, but I need it to stay that way to increase suspense on my part. Pay attention to details!_

_I'll try to update soon, but definitely no guarantees, got it?_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	3. Chapter 2: The Start of A Journey

_Hello! I said that the new chapter wouldn't be up for some time, but I managed to squeeze in a bit of typing and… voila! Here's the new chapter, enjoy it!_

_Thanks to all my supportive reviewers! You guys rock, totally!_

_This should be good, I don't know… tell me what you think!_

_Read on…_

_N_

Chapter 2- The Start of A Journey.

二 - 路途的开始

Even before the sun was up, nine of the Konoha shinobis were already assembled at the village gate, conducting last-minute checks on weaponry, equipment and provisions. Everyone looked fresh and alert, as expected of any ninja before a mission, and Neji thankfully noted that no one had chosen to get drunk the night before.

"Hey, Sakura," Ino spoke in a low voice to the pink-haired kunoichi beside her.

"Yeah?" Sakura asked absently as she went through Kiba's backpack to make sure he had everything they needed.

"Who d'you think will replace Chouji? Tsunade-sama did say a 'ten-man team'…" the blonde asked curiously, pretty certain that the Hokage would have told her apprentice.

Sakura laughed lightly, moving on to Hinata's pack. "I know what you're thinking, Ino… I haven't seen shishou since yesterday's briefing and I really don't know…"

Ino looked crestfallen and was just about to say something when a voice sounded.

"Okay, everyone!" Shikamaru ordered. The chatter softly resounding in the quiet morning fell into silence, everyone turned to look at their co-leaders.

Just as Shikamaru was about to speak, Tsunade strolled up casually, smiling at the youngsters' energy. A familiar figure stood behind her, but with the slight mist hovering around, they could not define who it was.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Tsunade-sama," everyone greeted, bowing respectfully.

"Ohayo…" Tsunade smiled. "Since Chouji is unable to join you mission, I have found you a replacement. Sai will be joining your team for this mission,"

The team's reactions were varied. Ino smiled broadly, Shikamaru frowned at her, Sakura smiled slightly while the rest simply looked indifferent. Naruto, however, had to make a statement.

"WHAT?" the hyperactive ninja yelled, fuming. "That-that-"

"Now, Naruto, hasn't anyone taught you that it's rude to point?" Tsunade mocked, winking at Sakura.

The cherry blossom laughed. Ino was already sashaying up to Sai.

"Sai-kun! It's great to have you with us!"

Meanwhile, Shikamaru boiled.

N

Neji explained the formation. As one of the leaders and with the Byakugan, he would be first. Tenten came next; her long range attacks could disable the enemy before they came close. (Even so, the male members of the team doubted that was Neji's real reason for putting her there…)

After them came Sakura, then Naruto, strength and hyperactivity forming a powerful defense. Kiba followed with Lee trailing behind. Ino and Shikamaru, ever the bickering pair, came after. Hinata was next, another Byakugan user, with Akamaru by her side to convey Hinata's danger warnings to Kiba up front. Sai brought up the rear, mainly to keep the Hyuuga heir from harm.

The team suddenly found Kiba and Naruto having a heated argument over why Naruto came first in the formation. Neji fought to keep his aggravation in check, contemplating all the ways he could murder and bury those two even before they started off on the mission

'_Should've separated those two… why didn't I think of it earlier? **Dammit!**'_ Neji cursed inwardly, pulling the duo apart.

"Sakura, may I have a word?" Tsunade quietly beckoned to her student in the midst of the chaos. Nodding, the pink-haired kunoichi quickly followed her shishou to a far corner, wondering what Tsunade could want.

"Listen, Sakura, I have to make this quick. Remember the objective of your mission?" Tsunade asked.

"Yeah…" Sakura said hesitatingly. "Retrieve the scrolls before Deidara?"

"Yes. And to which clan do those scrolls belong to?"

"You said no one knew,"

"Exactly. But I just got information from the ANBU spying on Akatsuki…" Tsunade glanced at the still-chaotic group, not far off.

"So? Which clan owns the scrolls?" Sakura asked excitedly.

Tsunade turned to look at her slowly, a pause in her voice. "The Haruno clan,"

The cherry blossom was shell-shocked, her emerald eyes wide.

"M-_my_ clan?"

Tsunade nodded, looking at her apprentice worriedly. "You are the key to the scrolls. Akatsuki wants _you_,"

Sakura was silent, desperately trying to make sense of the Godaime Hokage's words.

The Haruno clan's scrolls? Akatsuki wanted _her_?

The older woman took her by the shoulders. "Look, Sakura, I understand if you don't want-"

The kunoichi snapped out of her trance suddenly, stopping the Hokage mid sentence.

"No, Tsunade-sama… I have to get those scrolls _myself_… I- made a promise to chichioya… I _will _revive my clan's secrets, and if Akatsuki wants me- they can come. I'm not backing down. Not ever,"

Tears slid down the Sannin's face. Without warning, Tsunade gathered Sakura into a warm embrace, a first in many years. "Sakura… you've grown…"

Sakura hugged her shishou back. "Tsunade-sama… you never worried about Naruto being Akatsuki's target before… so don't worry about me,"

"But Naruto's _different_,"

"He isn't, shishou," Sakura said gently. "No one's different. You trained me. Please, put your faith in me. I've been waiting for this moment ever since that day… I have to fulfill my promise. I'm strong enough, and you know that,"

Tsunade released Sakura, surveying her student with pride shining in her eyes. "So, I'll say it again, Sakura… you're already better than me…"

"No, but arigatou, Tsunade-sama," Sakura smiled slightly.

Tsunade returned the smile, wiping all traces of her tears. "Go get 'em, girl…"

"I will, shishou. I promise I will."

N

The Godaime Hokage gave the team a last-minute run-through, not showing any sign of the former incident with Sakura. Thankfully, no one had noticed their absence.

As Sakura listened half-heartedly, her mind racing through the sudden change of events, she spotted Kakashi, with Pakkun by his side, starting into the lush green forest, and gently fingered the embossed marks upon her palms.

"… and please, come back alive as a team- all of you. I don't want to see anyone missing, got it?" Tsunade finished, catching Sakura's eye, indicating that this plea was especially for her. "I place full confidence in every single Konoha shinobi here,"

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Naruto saluted, a big grin on his face.

N

All was silent, except for the slight rustle of leaves as the ten Hidden Leaf shinobis leapt agilely from tree to tree, not speaking, each thinking his or her own thoughts, own predictions for the days to come.

Neji's Byakugan penetrated to their surroundings, checking for traps and hidden enemies. _'So far, so good,'_ Neji thought absently as he stared ahead, before spotting something in the distance, and smirked. _'Perhaps I spoke too soon,'_

"Neji nii-sama! A trap up front!" Hinata called out from behind.

"Stop!" the Hyuuga prodigy halted his team from progressing. "Yes, Hinata, I saw it…"

"What is it?" Shikamaru called form the back, stepping forward to get a better view of whatever it was that was blocking their path.

"You can't see it," Neji told his co-leader. "It's an invisible chakra web, extremely strong by the looks of it," Neji told him bluntly. "Got any ideas?"

"Well, the least troublesome way would be to find a weak spot… are there any?" the lazy genius questioned.

Neji shook his head. "It stretches right across the path, as far as my Byakugan can see, and it goes way up high, too… "

Tenten piped up. "What level is this chakra web at?"

"Level four. The strongest kind," Neji replied. "It sucks up all the chakra of anyone trapped in it and transfers it to the creator of the web.

"Geez… looks like someone really wants to stop us," Kiba sighed.

By now, Shikamaru was in his thinking position, crouched on the ground with his fingers locked in the shape of a circle.

'_Shino's not here… his bugs might've helped… Taijutsu does nothing… Naruto and Sakura_ _aren't much help either… nor Kiba and Akamaru…'_ Shikamaru thought, eyes closed.

"Sai, try one of your inked animals on the web," the Nara genius ordered.

Swiftly and silently, the ANBU Root member took out a scroll, performing a handseal. A large, beautifully inked phoenix materialized and swooped towards the web, dissolving into nothingness.

"It doesn't work," Sai said simply, pocketing the scroll and stepping back.

"Neji, Hinata… what about that chakra cutting technique?" Shikamaru turned towards the two Hyuugas.

"I taught it to you last week, Hinata… can you do it?" Neji asked his shy younger cousin.

Hinata nodded, flexing her fingers.

"Ready?" Neji gave her a sign. Hinata braced herself.

"Harichakra!"

Small, sharp needles emerged from the tenketsu on the tips of their fingers, and both cousins hurled themselves at the shimmering web, Byakugans activated.

"We did it!" Hinata let out a soft, victorious whisper as she saw the web begin to tear. And then she gasped, feeling an overpowering force dragging her towards the glowing web.

Neji pulled away in the nick of time, but Hinata was trapped, struggling on the web, her chakra draining.

Instinctively Sakura and Tenten reached out to grab the struggling girl, but Neji's voice rang out sharply.

"No! Don't touch her! You'll get trapped as well!"

"So? You want to leave her there?" Naruto yelled back fiercely.

"We can't do anything!" Neji argued, hardly believing the words coming out of his mouth.

"Yes, we CAN! She's your _cousin_, dammit!" Naruto roared, sprinting forward and reaching out to grab both of Hinata's hands, before he felt a strong grip pulling him back. The jinchuuriki was ready to turn back and give Neji and facelift but halted when he saw that it was Sakura, not Neji, pulling him back.

"Sakura-chan…?"

"I'll do it," the pink-haired kunoichi said grimly. "I've got a better chance of getting her out. Besides, having _you_ drain _your chakra_ into the web is probably what the creator planned,"

Not waiting for a response, Sakura reached out, flowing tiny bursts of chakra into her hands to increase her strength; and grabbed the Hyuuga heir by both hands.

Immediately Sakura felt the strong, pulling sensation shoot through her body, extracting her energy and what felt like her life force right out of her body. Gritting her teeth, Sakura shut her eyes tightly and yanked Hinata out of the web- only to be pulled against the web herself.

The rest of the team watched in horror while Naruto and Tenten helped Hinata stand.

Unlike Hinata, Sakura didn't struggle and focused on containing her chakra to the centre of her body.

"Neji- seal- my- chakra points!" Sakura blurted out with difficulty, straining from the effort to keep her chakra focused.

The Hyuuga genius faltered this time. "I can't do that,"

"Do it, Neji! You've got my permission!" Sakura choked, perspiration trickling down her cheeks.

"It'll hurt you, seriously!" Neji protested.

"This hurts more! Do it!" Sakura clenched her jaw.

"I won't!"

"JUST DO IT, HYUUGA NEJI!" Sakura hollered.

Hesitatingly Neji stepped forward, nudged on by Tenten and Hinata. Sighing, he braced himself to perform the Sixty-Four Hands of Hakke on his teammate. He watched her wince in pain as he hit her chakra points, and after eight of them were sealed, she asked him to stop.

"That's enough, Neji-san…" Sakura breathed, her face pale. Letting her chakra out in one big burst, Sakura broke free of the web and fell painfully to the earth, gasping for breath. She refused his outstretched hand, and instead asked a question.

"Can… the… chakra web… expand?"

The Hyuuga prodigy shook his head, incredulous at Sakura's response to his offered help. For a moment, he could've sworn that a smirk had crossed the pink-haired kunoichi's pretty features.

"Stand… back, please…" Sakura stood shakily on two feet, gathering her remaining chakra in her hands.

In a flash, Sakura slammed two fingers onto the ground, sending up a violent spurt of dirt and overturning trees. Everyone watched in awe. To this day, Sakura's inhumane strength never failed to impress them.

As the dust cleared, Naruto spotted Sakura collapsing from exhaustion and dashed up to catch her. Before them lay a crater that stretched far across, under the chakra web. Sakura had just created a way through for them.

Neji and Shikamaru smiled slightly at each other, both thinking the same thing. _'She beat us this time…'_

"So, what are our plans?" Ino asked as she knelt beside Sakura, feeling her friend's cold hands.

"We cross, and camp over there," Shikamaru spoke, looking to Neji for approval. "It's only midday, but everyone's exhausted and we've got an unconscious member,"

Everyone murmured in agreement. Naruto hoisted the kunoichi's limp form onto his back and started down the crater, Ino, Shikamaru and Kiba close behind. Sai and Lee followed, carrying Sakura and Hinata's backpacks, while Tenten and Neji supported Hinata between them.

Slowly, the group tread across the crater, headed for the opposite end.

N

When Sakura stirred awake, the sun was setting in the distance. Through half-closed lids, she watched the birds fly home to their nests, the majestic sun casting shadows beyond… and felt a wave of sadness wash over her.

Suddenly, an absolutely familiar, loud voice rang out.

"Sakura-chan! You're awake!" Naruto yelled gleefully, running up, grinning madly.

"How could you tell…" Sakura groaned. Her moment of peace had been totally ruined.

"Oi!" Ino waved at them from a distance. "Dinnertime, forehead!"

"Coming…" Sakura called back, rubbing her eyes.

"Geez, and they call this keeping a low profile," Kiba muttered to Akamaru.

"D'you think she's strong enough to move? She used up a lot of chakra back there…" Shikamaru said quietly to Ino, who was stirring some food in a pot over the fire.

Ino didn't reply as Sakura had just sat down beside her.

Hinata started to serve the food but Neji stopped her. "You girls cooked. We'll do the serving,"

The younger Hyuuga nodded, stepping back. The guys stood to help out.

"Before that- " Neji halted everyone. "Sakura… thanks for finding us a way through,"

Sakura's cheeks reddened as everyone smiled. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned. Hinata was behind her, smiling shyly at the cherry blossom. "Arigatou, Sakura-chan… for saving my life…"

"No problem," Sakura assured her, smiling as well. "Okay, this is totally embarrassing me… can we get on with dinner now?"

Everyone laughed, the girls huddled around Sakura while the guys set out the food.

"What happened after I split the ground?" Sakura asked her friends. "I can't remember anything…"

"You conked out, naturally," Ino smirked.

Tenten grinned. "You've got some guts, asking Neji to use the Sixty-four Hands of Hakke on you,"

Sakura smiled ruefully. "It was the only thing I could think of… tell Neji that it _seriously_ hurts…"

All four girls laughed.

Meanwhile, Sai was contemplating how he should act 'nice', as all these people called it. He still couldn't get used to referring to them as his teammates; he was too used to flying solo on missions.

Sai's attempts to be nice towards the guys didn't seem to work. He remembered (painfully) how two boys had reacted to his words.

N

_(Flashback)_

Sai stood beside Shikamaru as the latter erected a tent in the clearing.

"Eh, are you going to help or not?" Shikamaru demanded gruffly.

Sai immediately picked another tent, hoping to get his leader into a good mood. Seeing Sai start to work, Shikamaru turned back to his own unfinished job. However, the former's next sentence made the Nara genius turn sharply.

"Ino is really pretty, isn't she?" Sai smiled, unaware of Shikamaru's building anger.

Out of nowhere a fist came flying and crashed onto a very confused Sai's head, and Shikamaru stalked away, huffing.

_(Later…)_

Neji leaned against a tree watching Tenten train, observing his girlfriend's undeniable skills with a secret smile to his face. Usually, the team didn't bother the duo, _especially_ when Neji was watching Tenten, but of course, Sai didn't know that.

Finding nothing to do, Sai strolled up to Neji and tried to start a conversation, his ever insincere smile plastered upon his face.

"She's very good, isn't she?" Sai asked casually.

"Hn," Neji nodded slightly, not sparing the shinobi a glance. Sai was oblivious to the Hyuuga's reluctance to continue any form of conversation with someone he barely knew.

"Tenten is so pretty and skilled… I really adore her…" Sai continued.

The moment Neji's famed, _'what-did-you-say'_ death glare fell on him, Sai knew he'd said the wrong thing.

_Again._

_(End of Flashback)_

_N_

Breaking out of his semi-trance, Sai decided to try his 'charm' luck with the girls. Holding two hands, he approached Ino and Sakura, smiling politely.

"Your dinner, Ino-chan," Sai said smoothly, not realizing that he actually looked like he was trying to flirt. "You have a very pretty face, Ino-chan," he added after second thought. It always seemed to work on her.

"Arigatou, Sai-kun!" Ino giggled, accepting her plate.

Sai mentally congratulated himself on his one success and turned to his temporary teammate.

"Sakura-chan…" he offered her the plate of food.

Quietly the kunoichi smiled and accepted the plate. "Arigatou,"

'_Say something about her appearance!'_ his inner conscience hissed at him.

"Uh… Sakura-chan…" Sai started.

She looked up expectantly.

"You… have a very big forehead," he smiled.

Sakura smiled back sweetly.

And before the poor guy knew what was happening, he found himself flying (painfully) backwards, courtesy to a power-packed punch from the pink-haired kunoichi, who now looked furious.

Everyone sweatdropped.

Ino prodded Shikamaru, who was standing beside her.

"Uh… you know what, Shika? I think Sakura is _perfectly_ fine…"

N

_Did you like the last part? _

_C'mon, read and review! Please. Oh yeah, the 'Sixty Four Hands of Hakke is a Jyukken technique wherein the Hyuugas hit all their opponents chakra points in one go._

_Next Chapter:_

_Chapter 3- New Enemies!_

_三 __- __新敌！_

_Tell me what you think, I want to know how I can improve on my storyline. Watch out for the new character in the next chapter as well!_

_Ciao!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	4. Chapter 3: New Enemies!

_Hello! It's a new chapter… and new characters of my own! Before I forget, thanks to all you guys who reviewed, especially those who did it anonymously… I couldn't reply, so I'll thank you now._

_Someone asked when Sasuke was going to appear. Well… only in chapter 5, so please wait. He's a major character in this story, but only in the later parts… please be patient with me!_

_Oh, and special thanks to 4everDestinied, who sends me loooooooooooooong reviews every time… _

_Okay, I've said enough. On with the story!_

N

Avenger's Destiny

Chapter 3- New Enemies!

三- 新敌！

Ten silent Konoha shinobis greeted the fresh morning, moving silently and keeping their eyes, ears and noses open for anything faintly suspicious. Their movements were rhythmic, soundless, hardly rustling a leaf or startling an animal.

Above them, colourful birds chirped cheerfully, swooping around looking for food to fill their nestlings' open, noisy beaks. Insects crawled across the branches with ease, searching for prey or hiding from predators.

Sakura watched Mother Nature at work and remembered what Tsunade had told her. Her heart felt like it was being wrenched out, the fear that overwhelmed her within did not show upon her face. Was this how it felt to be hunted? To be the keeper of a family heirloom that everyone was after?

The cherry blossom could finally comprehend how her hyperactive teammate felt. To know that his fate was to always be a target of hunters, to hold a power so great people feared him. To know that he could unconsciously destroy everything around him, his home, all the people he loved.

But Naruto was brave. He was used to it. She… was still numbed from the shock, hardly feeling anything. Only fear. Fear of what tomorrow would bring for her, her uncertain future being the key of her great family secrets.

And, ironically, she didn't even know what kind of secrets those were.

Forcing herself to get a grip, Sakura focused her attention on travelling. She was still in top notch condition, capable of completing this mission safely and successfully, as she promised her shishou.

At least, that was what she _hoped_.

N

Sai had several of his inked falcons swooping around them, detecting any sudden movements around the team. Both Hyuugas had their Byakugans activated, keeping watch. Kiba and Akamaru traced faint scents in the air, looking for anything unusual.

Akamaru suddenly whined, softly. Kiba halted.

"Stop!" he hissed at the others. "Something's bothering Akamaru!"

"Yeah, something's not _right _about this place…" Ino shuddered, subconsciously huddling closer to Shikamaru.

"It has a kind of smell…" Lee said cautiously, not quite able to place it. Someone spoke, suddenly and quietly, from behind him.

"The smell of death,"

Everyone turned around in surprise, only to see Sakura standing there with her brilliant emerald eyes glazed over, a faraway, empty expression on her face.

"Yes…" Neji agreed softly. "Like when my father…" he trailed off, not completing the sentence. Hinata's face fell slightly as she looked away, embarrassed. Neji shook his head slightly at her, indicating that it wasn't her fault.

"So? Let's go!" Naruto exclaimed impatiently, confused by the silent emotion going around, not having the slightest notion of what was going on. Sakura sighed inwardly. Sometimes, that jinchuuriki could be as clueless and unfeeling as Sai.

"Be careful, guys…" Shikamaru cautioned as they stepped forward.

A village was in sight. Dull, dirty roof tiles could be seen covering once beautiful houses; eerie silence filled the air as they moved on. Nothing seemed to be alive, even the air was cold and still around them.

"Strange…" Neji muttered. "It's a village, but my Byakugan can't see- **_no_**…" his sentence ended in a harsh whisper, his opaque eyes widened in shock.

Neji halted in his tracks, stopping everyone else. Tenten looked at him questioningly, but he looked away forcefully. He couldn't show weakness now, not in front of his team.

"Hinata, stop your Byakugan," Neji ordered, face devoid of emotion.

"Why?" Hinata asked, standing taller, not obeying her cousin.

"Just _do it_!" he snapped, so irritatably that everyone was taken aback. Naruto looked indignant and was about to retort on behalf of Hinata when the younger Hyuuga stopped him, shaking her head slightly. When Neji used that kind of tone, he was serious. She deactivated her Byakugan.

"We're not going through the village," Neji commanded. "Go around it,"

Everyone murmured.

"Look, Neji, we respect your decisions, but can't you at least give us an explanation?" Tenten rationalized with him, touching his shoulder lightly with concern.

To her infinite surprise, she saw a flicker of emotion across his face as he turned away. "You- you don't want to know,"

At this moment, Naruto burst forward impatiently. "What _is _it already?"

He stopped dead in his tracks. The jinchuuriki had plain view of the silent village; an unreadable expression crossed his face.

The rest of the team crowded around Naruto. Immediately everyone fell silent. Nothing could be heard, nothing was said. Uncontrolled emotions floated to the surface of their minds, shock, anger and sorrow all merged into one unbearable, painful feeling within.

The village was… _grisly_. Blood was spattered everywhere.

_Dead_ bodies lay everywhere.

Sakura was the first to react, and step onto the streets of the dead village. Her body shook, but not a tear escaped her eyes.

She stepped around the bloodied bodies, trying not to picture how they must have died. How their screams of agony must have filled her air just hours before. She kept herself upright, not willing to collapse, to give in to the pressure of her haywire emotions.

_Shinobis must never show emotion…_

She hated the smug voice of her inner self. Forcing the annoying voice to the back of her head, the pink-haired kunoichi let her mind run through all the questions she wanted to scream out. Who… _why…_? Why them? She bit her lower lip so hard, she was able to feel the rusty crimson blood leak into her mouth.

Ino was shaking uncontrollably, supported by Shikamaru. The usually happy, flirtatious girl was not used to death, unlike Sakura, who saw deaths often at the hospital. She couldn't comprehend the kind of emotion death brought, and it overwhelmed her.

"Sh- Shika- t-take me away… I- I don't- " She broke down in uncontrollable sobs.

Hinata buried her pale face in Naruto's back, tears cascading down her cheeks. "N-Naruto-kun…"

Neji felt Tenten's grip on his arm tighten as they walked through the village. He turned slightly to look at her; her face was pale and her bright chocolate eyes were brimmed with tears. He knew what she felt. He always knew. Tenten tried to turn away and brush off her tears, but he caught her hands, stopping her.

"It's okay to cry, you know…" he told her softly.

She nodded, and tears fell.

N

"It looks like they've been killed just hours before…" Kiba trailed off. "The blood… it's still fresh and wet,"

Akamaru sniffled as it spotted a dog with its neck slashed brutally. Kiba let out a low growl in indignation, mentally wringing the neck of the person who had dared do this.

Sai and Lee flanked Sakura, who was taking in the scene with comparative composure, even though she looked shaken. Her emerald eyes scanned for survivors, and her hopes fell as she saw only death. But then-

A slight movement caught her eye, and immediately she knelt down, beside the seemingly still figure of a young girl, with long pink locks similar to the kunoichi's. Her eyes were closed, but as soon as Sakura gently took her hand, she felt a squeeze. A surge of hope rose within her as she saw the girl's lips part in a murmur, a bare whisper escaped her.

Sakura tried to control her shaking hand as she slowly eased the kunai out of the girl's chest wound, reminded horribly of that scene, so many years ago…

'_No! Stop thinking of that!'_ she screamed inwardly.

Sakura was attempting to heal the girl when her eyes opened, slowly. They were a dark, deep, mesmerizing shade of green, looking up at Sakura tiredly.

"Nee-san… are you… are you an angel? Am… Am I _dead_?" she asked softly.

Sakura could feel her heart shatter. This girl… on the brink of death, and still speaking so calmly…

"No," Sakura said in a choked voice, forcing a smile as she caressed the girl's cheeks. "You're not dead… I'm not an angel, either…" she whispered.

"Oh…" the girl said, softly and slowly. "But… nee-san… you look like one…"

Sakura fell silent, not knowing what to say. After a few moments, the young girl spoke.

"I'm dying… am I?"

The pink-haired kunoichi could not reply, shaking hard.

"If I die, nee-san, will I go to heaven?" the girl probed again, her breathing shallow.

"I… hope so…." Sakura forced a smile, clutching the girl's hand tightly.

"Maybe… I will see… mommy… and daddy… there…" the girl breathed, smiling at Sakura. "That… would be… nice…"

"Yes…" Sakura agreed softly, brushing back the girl's pink locks from her pale face. "Yes… it would…"

The girl closed her eyes, then opened them again. "Nee-san… ari…gatou…" her shaking hand gingerly clutching a brand new rag doll that she had been cradling, and weakly handing it to Sakura. "Please… take… care… of… my dolly…"

Sakura nodded, fighting back her tears as she took the doll. The young girl smiled… and closed her eyes.

The cherry blossom watched the girl's pale face, so pure, untainted, compared to the blood, dirt and grime splattered everywhere. Her eyes were closed in a picture of contentment and rest, unlike those who died horribly with their eyes wide open, staring into emptiness for eternity.

"Sakura…" Sai spoke quietly. "Come on… it's over…"

Within her, Sakura refused to believe that it was over. Why did things always have to be over? Why couldn't there ever be hope? That girl was _innocent_! She had done nothing wrong, why did her life end this way?

The rest of the team watched silently as the medic nin rose to her feet shakily, her curtain of pink hair shielding her face from their view.

Sakura lifted the rag doll in her hands. A pink card was attached to the doll's dress. With trembling fingers, Sakura reached out and opened the card.

'_To my darling…_

_Tanoshi_

_Tanjobi! _**(1)**

_From okasan, with love…'_

It was all Sakura could do to keep herself from crying. She closed the card, and bent over to give the dead girl and light peck on the forehead.

"I hope… that you see your parents in heaven…" she whispered softly, then falling silent.

"Just a few hours," Sakura spoke, to no-one in particular. "Just a few hours earlier and we could've saved this village… and I could've saved _her_,"

The pink-haired kunoichi looked around at her friends with a pained expression on her face, before streaking off through the bloodied streets of the village, not heeding the calls of her friends behind her.

N

"Where's Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked Neji anxiously.

"Wait- there's a bunch of Sound nins headed in our direction-" Neji looked distracted, his Byakugan activated. "Drat!" he suddenly cursed.

"Hey, what was that?" Shikamaru asked sharply

Neji was already sprinting in another direction, Naruto and Tenten hot on his heels. He yelled an answer to Shikamaru's question.

"Sakura's running straight _towards _them!"

N

The pink haired kunoichi vaguely heard footsteps approaching, but she just didn't care. Her mind was racing through too many thoughts to focus, to think straight.

Her shoes slammed against the pavement in anger and protest, in rhythm with the beat of her heart. Yet, not a single tear fell from her brilliant emerald eyes.

Just as Sakura rounded the corner, she crashed head-on with something.

Or _someone_.

A burly man with a square-set jaw and a clean-shaven face stared down imposingly at her. He was on the short side, with beady brown eyes and a Hidden Sound headband covering his greasy black hair.

"Oi, dobe, I thought I told you to kill them all!" he bellowed at a tall lean fellow with a patch over his left eye and a katana by his side. His hair was the colour of dirty straw, his only visible eye was blue. Cerulean. He wore no shirt, baring his visible six-pack, and long white pants with a red sash at the waist. His hitai-ate was tied to his left wrist.

In a flash, the second man had grabbed the first in a chokehold, cerulean eye glinting malevolently.

"Do not- ever- call me _'dobe'_," he hissed dangerously, his grip of the man's neck tightening mercilessly. "Dobe,"

"O-okay, Seijin **(2)**!" the burly man sweatdropped, shaking. "I'm sorry!"

"You better be," the tall man, or rather, Seijin, released him.

"That's a Leaf kunoichi, dim-wit," Seijin spoke, glancing at Sakura's headband. "She's just arrived- send in the pawns to make a fool of her, Hyozan **(3**)… I've never liked the Leaf,"

Hyozan, the burly man, nodded meekly.

"Well, gentlemen," Seijin turned to face his eager minions. "We've got a pretty one this time… finish her off, will ya?"

One of the Sound nins lunged forward eagerly at Sakura, which resulted in Seijin plunging a dagger straight through him with out hesitating.

"I haven't said start _yet,_" Seijin drawled, watching the man slump to the ground, dead. Smirking, he turned to the other gulping ninjas. "_Now_ you may go," Eager to get away from the maniacal samurai, they rushed into attack.

Sakura's anger had been building to the ultimatum, and like Tsunade, she wasn't a person you wanted to deal with when she was angry. Her bright emerald eyes flashed as she stood facing them with her feet apart, weaponless.

"Let me warn you," the cherry blossom snarled dangerously. "You caught me on a _very.** bad. day**_**"**

Sakura's gloved fists slammed into the ground with unbelievable force, creating a huge split that shot forward towards her oncoming attackers with extreme speed. The sound nins screamed like sissies as they lost their footing and plunged into the darkness below.

Seijin's cerulean eye widened, a single thought running through his mind. _'What… what kind of crazy strength is that? She's… a girl!' _

"I may be a girl, but don't underestimate me," Sakura said quietly, seemingly able to read his thoughts. To outsiders, she might look afraid, but her own friends knew that this was simply a sign that she was going to blow- and it wasn't going to be pretty.

Hyozan cowered in fear behind Seijin, the latter's lean frame barely shielding him from the furious kunoichi's view.

Sakura clenched her gloved fists, staring Seijin in the eye. "Ten down, two to go," she breathed. "For killing this village, _I will kill you_,"

"C'mon, then, pretty… I'll make this quick," Seijin sneered, drawing out his katana. The long, smooth blade shone in the light, reflecting the rays of the sun as Seijin twisted it to suit his stance.

From underneath his mop of messy, straw-coloured hair, Sakura caught the satisfaction in his single eye, the will to see bloodshed, to kill.

'_He kills for pleasure,'_ Sakura thought determinedly, her eyes narrowing. _'I'll kill him…'_

Sakura slid her Fuuma Shuriken out of her pack, flipped it open and faced Seijin squarely, ready to kill.

N

Sakura waited for Seijin to make the first move, Tsunade's words ringing in her ears.

'_Impatience is men's greatest weakness… they think so highly of their abilities, they think women can't fight, and their pride becomes their downfall. Let them attack. Watch them, study them, and counter them. Always. Be. Prepared.'_

Sure enough, after several moments, Seijin allowed his impulse to take over and leapt at Sakura, katana poised for one quick slash to her neck.

He was fast, but this time, Sakura was faster. Dodging, she spun her Fuuma Shuriken and slashed at Seijin's left arm, drawing blood.

He swore, quickly turning around and retaliating with a slash to her shoulders.

A burning, searing pain ripped through her entire body from her shoulders, making her shudder in agony. It hurt like hell.

"Teme!" Sakura cursed, realizing what Seijin had done.

Forget the slash wound, she could heal that easily enough.

What remained unaccounted for, was the fact that Seijin's blade was _poisoned._

N

"Round that corner!" Neji hissed, skidding to a sudden halt.

"Sakura!" Tenten rushed up to Sakura, who was clutching her shoulder in obvious pain.

"You- !" Naruto growled, leaping towards Seijin with Neji close behind.

"WAIT!" Sakura warned, ignoring the pain and grabbing her backpack swiftly. She pulled out four injection needles filled with clear blue liquid and flung two towards Naruto and Neji.

"His katana's poisoned! My antidote can only work for ten minutes, got it?"

Both shinobis nodded, plunging the needles into their thighs.

It's useless," Seijin drawled, watching them with amusement as he spun his katana leisurely. "No antidote works against my poison,"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Sakura shot back calmly, injecting herself and healing her wound quickly. Throwing a needle to Tenten and her backpack to Hinata, Sakura signalled to Shikamaru.

He understood. Motioning for the others to stay back, he beckoned to Sai and both trapped the idiot Hyozan quickly and effectively. The rest of the team stood back, poised for backup attacks.

Fuuma Shuriken in hand, Sakura faced Seijin with a new wave of deadly determination, Tenten, Naruto and Neji flanking her. Her tone was dangerously low.

"Let's get this party started,"

N

In moments, Seijin was bearing down on them, katana poised to kill his young opponents.

His moments were fluid, his aim precise. His attacks came as an endless barrage, raining down upon them without warning.

"Aw… c'mon… you call yourselves _ninjas_?" Seijin sneered. His razor-sharp katana slashed mercilessly, drawing blood everywhere.

His deep cerulean eyes, however, narrowed when he saw the slash wounds healing as soon as he inflicted them.

'_So… it looks like that girl's little antidote does work,'_ Seijin thought, somewhat grudgingly. _"Against my poison… she's a medic nin to be reckoned with, I'll give her that much credit…'_

Neji flew back from the impact of Seijin's blade through his abdomen, bleeding profusely before sealing up without a trace. He gritted his teeth, seeing Tenten fly back crashing into a tree with a deep cut to her cheek. Two kunais and five shurikens found their mark, courtesy to a furious weapons mistress.

'_He's too darned fast!'_ Neji thought, unfocused on the battle.

"Neji, you idiot! MOVE!" Tenten hollered, knocking him out of harm's way just as Seijin's blade whizzed right past the spot where his head had been just seconds ago.

"Focus, will you?" the weapons mistress yelled as she dodged yet another flurry of attacks. Naruto went crashing through a whole row of trees, only Sakura managed to block Seijin's attacks successively courtesy to her large Fuuma Shuriken.

"Regroup!" Neji ordered. Immediately, Tenten, Sakura and Naruto sprang back into position beside him.

"Let's try a different approach," Neji said through clenched teeth. "Konoha Yon!"

Sakura was up first. Seijin watched, mockingly as she spun her Fuuma Shuriken with one hand. The pink-haired kunoichi smiled inwardly. She was counting on the conceited Seijin to think it was all part of an act- and fall right into their trap.

Behind her, Naruto quickly and secretly created a clone before transforming into a Fuuma Shuriken, using his clone to fling himself towards Sakura. Anticipating this move, she caught him deftly with her free hand.

Smiling inwardly, Sakura flung the two shurikens in a cross formation, deliberately missing Seijin as Tenten's smoke bombs covered her. The weapons mistress threw in a variety of weapons to act as decoys, distracting Seijin from Sakura's shurikens.

For Naruto and Sakura, this inversion of the Shadow Shuriken Technique served as a reminder of happier days with Sasuke, where they felt the real Team 7 back then.

"Bad shot," Seijin smirked smugly. "I didn't even _dodge_… is that the best you Leaf ninjas can do? _Pathetic…_"

Sakura shrugged nonchalantly, a secret smile tugging at her lips. Clouds of smoke were obscuring her view, but she could still make out the hyperactive ninja's hazy figure, bearing down on Seiji.

"Look up, _dobe_," Naruto's loud voice smirked. Seijin was still clueless when Naruto's right foot connected heavily with the back of his head, sending him staggering forwards.

The samurai fell right atop the opaque-eyed Hyuuga prodigy, who was waiting for his chance for payback. Poised to strike with the Sixty-Four hands of Hakke **(i)**, he immediately sealed two of Seijin's vital tenketsu points.

Neji would've sealed more, but Seijin managed to whirl away, cursing. In moments, Sakura and Tenten were on him, side by side and pinning Seijin right against a wall with their kunais.

"Shikamaru!" Tenten yelled, straining from the effort to hold him down.

"Kagemane no Jutsu! **(ii)**" the Nara genius focused, letting his shadow snake upon the ground before shooting towards Seijin and trapping him successfully.

Neji poised to attack Seijin's tenketsu points again, but paused when an extremely smug look crossed the man's face.

"I don't like that look on his face," Naruto said grimly to Lee and Kiba.

Seijin's lips parted in a mumble, and Shikamaru suddenly felt like he was being ripped apart, heart and soul. It was pure torture, and he had to force himself to keep his control on Seijin.

"ARGH!"

He let out a roar from the excruciating pain, and was sent flying backwards by an unseen force, breaking his control over the samurai.

"Shika!" Ino cried out, running towards him.

Everyone watched in absolute awe as a pair of great, shimmering wings, made entirely out of chakra, unfolded from Seijin's back. In a single swipe, he sent Sakura and Tenten flying, before grabbing the shaking Hyozan from Sai's slacked grip and flipping his katana up from where Shikamaru had forced him to fling it before.

"See you soon," Seijin smirked, soaring high into the air with a flap of his wings. The blade of his katana met the arm of a certain Taijutsu specialist who tried to stop him. "Losers," he added one last word, sneering, soaring higher and higher above them.

"Akamaru! Douteki Saitentei! **(iii)**" Kiba hollered, flinging Akamaru upwards.

The Inuzuka dog went soaring above Seijin and Hyozan gleefully sending out a spray of pee that covered both men, before landing back safely in his master's arms.

From high up above, Hyozan screamed vulgalarities at them.

N

_How was that? Was Seijin good? Please tell me what you think! _

_Some word meanings:_

_**Tanoshi Tanjobi**- Happy birthday_

_**Seijin**- His name, literally, means 'saint'._

_**Hyozan**- This name means 'iceberg'. Funny, but well…_

_Jutsus:_

_**Sixty-Four Hands of Hakke**- Hyuuga specialty, where they use the gentle fist to seal up their opponent's tenketsu points, disabling their opponents from performing jutsu._

_**Kagemane no Jutsu**- Nara specialty, where they extend their shadow to trap their opponents and force them to succumb to their movements._

_**Douteki Saitentei**- Well, you saw what it does… Inuzuka specialty, their dogs pee on their opponents (usually in the battlefield) so that they can be tracked easily later. Hehe…_

_Well, that's about it, and I really want to know what you guys thought of this chapter. Review, please! I updated soon enough! Bye!_

-Raven Ariana-


	5. Chapter 4: Visitors of Sunagakure!

_Hey! I'm back! You guys ROCK! I loved all your reviews. Sorry if I couldn't personally reply all of them, though, I'll try to next time! _

_I know the last chapter was sad, I was (nearly) crying while writing it. The girl goes unnamed, I think it works better that way… _

_Many reviewers told me Seijin was cool… thanks! My friend kept saying that he wasn't cool enough, so Seijin went through a lot of changes! _

_Okay, I've loitered enough, on with the story!_

N

Chapter 4- Visitors of Sunagakure!

四 - 苏纳加古瑞的客人！

"Stop. We'll camp here for the night,"

After what seemed like an eternity of jumping from tree to tree, Neji finally said the words they all wanted to hear- _very_ badly.

The earthen ground shook slightly as ten shinobis landed flat-out upon the ground, exhausted and enjoying the feel of the cool night air against their warm, reddened cheeks. High above them, shining brilliantly against the dark sky, the full, round moon provided a kind of gentle assurance, the kind that light always gave in darkness.

Everyone moved about wordlessly, setting up camp. A gloomy, foreboding air hung about them, the memory of the dead village and burying the corpses remained long from forgotten.

Sakura's hands shook as she put her pack down on the earthy ground, suddenly remembering the little girl's face staring up at her. She needed the bandages inside her pack to wrap around her sore, hurting wrist from using the Fuuma Shuriken too much, but she didn't want to see the rag doll in her pack.

She couldn't deal with the emotion- _yet._

N

Sai and Kiba trudged through the forest, collecting firewood, silent while the rest of the boys pitched up the tents and the girls prepared dinner. Or supper, whichever was more suitable. Nobody cared for the moment.

Arranging the firewood neatly, Sakura struck a match to light it up, subconsciously remembering how easy it was when Sasuke was around to do his Katon. Catching herself, she shook her head to clear those memories. Why did it disturb her so much now?

'_Get a grip, Sakura!'_

N

While everyone sat down to eat, Neji and Shikamaru quietly discussed their plans before standing up to speak to the silent team.

"We're already at the border of the Fire and the Wind Country," Shikamaru began, looking around slowly at his teammates' weary faces.

"We should be at Hidden Sand by noon tomorrow, if we keep up our current pace," Neji continued. "We'll meet the Kazekage there and see if the Sand has any information on the scrolls and also, Seijin and Hyozan,"

Sakura nodded slowly in agreement. "I've got to make a stronger antidote. I used my last on Lee-san, and if Seijin is as smart as I think he is, he'd strengthen his poison. We definitely need a stronger defense,"

"Good," Neji approved her suggestion. "That _is_ a possibility. The herbs needed for that antidote can only be found in Suna, right?"

"Mm…" Sakura replied softly, lost in thought.

"Kiba," Shikamaru turned to the animal specialist, "You and Akamaru used Dountenki Saitentei. Got a lock on the target's location?"

"They're headed north of the Wind Country," Kiba promptly replied, ruffling Akamaru's pure white fur.

"Seems like they're headed the same way as us," Sai spoke quietly, saying exactly what was on everyone's minds. "Do you think they're there with the same purpose as us?"

His onyx eyes reflected the dancing firelight, questioning his teammates.

No one had an answer.

N

"I'll take first watch," Sakura volunteered, her voice tired. Her face looked pale, but her emerald eyes remained ever alert.

They'd just finished dinner, and were getting ready to sleep. Everyone looked doubtfully at Sakura, they knew that she was extremely tired, but-

"Let her have the first watch. I'll stay with her," Tenten said firmly, standing up. She caught Sakura's eye, and the pink-haired kunoichi nodded gratefully at her best friend.

Neji stood promptly. "I'll complete the three-man watch, then,"

Naruto and Kiba snickered loudly.

Neji glared.

N

Sakura swallowed yet another huge yawn, blinking to stay awake and trying not to show her tiredness. She was exhausted, but she'd prefer exhaustion to the nightmares that she knew would come in her sleep.

She, Neji and Tenten sat in a close-knit circle at the edge of their camp. Neji had activated his Byakugan to save their walking energy. All three were silent, letting their thoughts drift elsewhere. They were supposed to be on guard, but hey…

Neji seemed to be the only one really alert. He looked at the tired Sakura skeptically. "Get some sleep, Sakura. We can't have our only medic nin collapsing,"

She looked at him strangely. "I think you know how it feels, Neji-san… to have nightmares about those who are gone…"

The Hyuuga genius's face fell, ever so slightly. He remembered… all too well.

"I cried all that night… I failed to save my parents … I failed to make _him_ stay. I thought I had to get stronger, and maybe I did. But it never seems to be enough. I still couldn't save that girl- I couldn't even revenge her. I stopped crying, but it just isn't enough. It's _never _enough,"

Sakura stared up at the starless sky, seemingly sharing her sorrow.

"Hey, stop getting all mopey, you two," Tenten smiled slightly, trying to lighten the mood, but in the end, her own face fell. "At least you knew your parents. Me? I don't even know my _name_,"

All three fell silent.

N

By noon the next day, as Neji had predicted, the ten Leaf shinobis were approaching the gates of Sunagakure, the Hidden Sand Village. Two fierce-looking guards stopped them, demanding to know their 'sneaky' business, much to the indignation of a certain hyperactive ninja, who immediately stepped forward to give both guards a piece of his mind- using his fists.

Shikamaru pulled the fuming Naruto back while Neji pulled out the authorization scroll from the Godaime Hokage, and that was when a deep, cool voice sounded from somewhere above them.

"Who goes there,"

They looked up in surprise, and immediately the two guards knelt before the seventeen-year-old Kazekage, who was standing atop the high wall surrounding Suna, arms crossed and staring down at them.

Naruto looked delighted at seeing his 'old friend', immediately rushing up to the foot of the wall, jumping and yelling for Gaara to 'get down here and give me a proper welcome'.

Ino and Shikamaru both dragged him back by an ear each, Ino conking him on the head hard. "He's the Kazekage, you idiot!" Shikamaru hissed. "Show some darned respect!"

"Aah, forget it," Gaara stopped the Jounin from skinning the jinchuuriki alive. "I really hate all the formalities… we're… _friends_, right?" he said the word 'friend' haltingly, as if unaccustomed to using it.

Naruto laughed boisterously as Gaara leapt down, leading them through the gates. "Eh… where's Temari and Kankuro?" he asked curiously.

"Temari's out with her _boyfriend_," Gaara said with a slight 'eew' tone to it. Sakura stifled a laugh at the way Gaara could still be pretty childish.

Ino heaved an audible sigh of relief, looking at her teammate sheepishly, and Shikamaru glared daggers at her. It was a well known fact that Ino had always been questioning the Nara genius about his relationship with Gaara's older sister, suspicious of him.

'_I told her I had nothing to do with Temari, but no, she just wouldn't listen…' _Shikamaru thought, fuming. Luckily, no one noticed the look on his face.

"Kankuro's… somewhere," Gaara shrugged nonchalantly. "He's still the same old Naruto?" the Kazekage nodded to the grinning ninja.

"Yes," everyone replied simultaneously, their voices dull.

In two seconds Naruto was on Gaara's back, hugging both the gourd and the Kazekage. "Heh! Forget the formalities, right?" he grinned widely.

Gaara winced. "I didn't mean to the extent of letting myself be _hugged_. Geroff!"

Naruto was thrown back several meters by a powerful wall of sand flying out of Gaara's gourd, and his teammates laughed at the look on his face, walking on.

"Man, this is no fun," the jinchuuriki complained, rubbing the back of his sore head before leaping up and running after his team.

"HEY! Wait for me!"

N

The people of Hidden Sand smiled and bowed to the pink-haired kunoichi as she walked past them towards Suna's famed greenhouse. She smiled back, returning the customary bow. After she'd cured Kankuro of Sasori's poison some time back, Hidden Sand had started to really respect her and her comrades, as well.

Somehow, as Sakura entered the greenhouse, Sakura could feel Chiyo's presence all around her, as if quietly greeting an old friend. A soft smile curved her lips.

"Hey, Chiyo-sama…." Sakura smiled and whispered, admiring the lush interior of the greenhouse.

The tips of her slender fingers brushed past the herb leaves, the fragrant scents of the life-saving plants wafted through the still air sweetly.

She remembered how Tsunade had always emphasized on the importance of potion-making, and how tenderly the Godaime Hokage loved her personal greenhouse of herbs.

"_Think of it, Sakura…" the Fifth lifted a small pot of rosemary, examining it carefully for bugs. "Just two or three of these tiny leaves can save a life. It's vital for a medic nin to be able to 'communicate' with these plants- it may be your only resort when you have nowhere else to turn,"_

'_True enough, Tsunade-shishou…'_ Sakura thought with a smile on her face.

The cherry blossom was entirely lost in thought until the sight of the two most precious and rare herbs, both vital ingredients in Tsunade's ultimate antidote, brought her sharply back to earth.

_Shinwa hi no hana_, the Mythical Fire Flower. Famed for being able to ease any kind of pain inflicted in any way, and to quicken the process of healing wounds, it was a coveted herb in all the great shinobi countries, and few villages managed to cultivate the plant.

_Kaze no hana_, the delicate Wind Blossom. This plant, Sakura remembered, was a counter for high fevers, and could neutralize all types of poison, from the mildest to the deadliest. This was a plant unique to the Wind Country only, due to its requirement of humid temperature to grow properly.

Remembering her purpose, the cherry blossom placed her light brown satchel on the ground. She reached out a hand and deftly plucked herb after herb, flinging them into a black bowl to begin the process of making Tsunade's ultimate antidote.

N

"Hinata!" Sakura called as she stepped into the guestroom all four girls shared. Ino and Tenten lazed on the white beds, Ino sorting out her wardrobe while Tenten examined her prized weapons.

Both looked up as their pink-haired friend entered.

"Finished the antidote?" Tenten asked. Sakura nodded.

"Man, Ino, what do you do with so many clothes on a mission?" Sakura looked at Ino's pile of clothes in amazement. "And how did you manage to squeeze all that in your backpack?"

"I have my ways," Ino smirked, lifting up a light blue outfit, frowning at the wrinkled material. "How can a girl survive without fifteen sets of clothes, at least?"

Tenten snorted. "I brought three and I'm surviving just fine," she told the blonde sarcastically.

Ino ignored her.

Sakura laughed, walking towards the balcony.

Hinata was standing on the balcony, her ivory eyes glazed over with a dreamy expression on her face. Down below, the young children of Sunagakure played along the streets, their laughter echoing through the air as mothers watched with smiles on their faces. Peace was present in every sense of the word.

"It really reminds you of Konoha, doesn't it?" Sakura asked as she stepped onto the balcony beside Hinata, resting her arms against the balcony railing.

"Mm…" Hinata agreed quietly. "It- reminds me of home… of everything we're missing right now…"

"Yes, but remember that we're also doing this for Konoha… to protect everything that we live for, everything that we love," Sakura reminded her, a half-smile on her face. Those words… were an echo of the hyperactive ninja.

The Hyuuga heir nodded in silent understanding, spotting the satchel slung over Sakura's shoulders.

"Nani, Sakura-chan?" she pointed at it.

"Tsunade-sama's best antidote," Sakura smirked. "Seijin won't know what hit him,"

Hinata smiled.

"I promised to teach you a new technique, Hinata, are you ready?"

"H-hai!"

N

"Hey guys, can you clear this space for awhile? I'm teaching Hinata a new technique," Sakura requested of Lee, Neji, Shikamaru and Naruto, who were teaming up for a sparring session on one of Suna's vast practice grounds.

The boys readily consented, leaving the grounds.

"Oi! Why don't we watch?" Naruto yelled after the retreating boys. "Should be interesting, don'tcha think?" Neji, Shikamaru and Lee looked at each other, shrugged and stayed by the training grounds to watch.

Hinata broke out in cold sweat. She was counting on them to leave! (_Especially_ Naruto) Fighting to control her nervousness, Hinata suddenly felt that Naruto was being no help at all, even though he was yelling encouragement from the sidelines.

"First, I'll explain the technique. Ignore that _idiot_, Hinata," Sakura frowned at Naruto, who immediately stopped cheering. Hinata heaved a silent sigh of relief. Sakura fought the urge to smile, turning back to the Hyuuga. "Listen carefully. This technique is called Chakra Enjintou **(1)**, and its main strength is to create a blade of chakra that can cut your opponents muscles and arteries _without_ breaking the skin,"

"Hey, hey!" Naruto called from the stands, waving a hand. "I've got a question!"

"Like this is _your_ training session," Neji remarked sarcastically, crossing his arms.

Hinata saw the vein throbbing in Sakura's forehead. "He- is- so- _annoying_-" she said quietly to Hinata through clenched teeth. Forcing on a smile, she turned to face Naruto.

"Yes, Naruto?" Sakura asked sweetly.

Hinata laughed inwardly, before chiding herself. Sakura could fake almost any emotion, but it meant that she was always hiding her true self. After her parents died. After _he_ left. A small sigh escaped her lips.

"So, that means, this technique is no blood, no gore?" Naruto's extremely loud voice asked boisterously, demanding an answer.

"Yes, if you don't count internal bleeding," Sakura smirked, picturing herself using her technique to kill Naruto right now.

"Internal bleeding kills faster," Hinata spoke without stammering, surprised at her own boldness.

"True enough," Sakura admitted, smiling at Hinata, who smiled back slightly. Sakura was, at least, more patient, somber and serious than five years ago. She was responsible, and remained as smart as ever. But now, she rarely smiled.

"I need someone to volunteer…" Sakura hinted boldly, turning to the boys. "Dummies don't show the real results of this technique,"

Neji had his arms crossed, a definite no-no expression on his stoic face.

Lee was looking nervously at his feet, tracing patterns in the sand while his thick eyebrows twitched. Also a no-go.

Shikamaru was looking at her with that famed _'you-have-got-to-be-kidding-this-is-so-troublesome'_ look. Sakura sighed. Geniuses. Yeah, right.

"Naruto?" Sakura turned to her teammate.

The blond ramen-lover shrugged and grinned, a sweatdrop gracing the back of his head as he chuckled nervously. "Uh… I think… I'll pass Sakura-chan,"

"Geez, I never realized that our bunch of machoists were actually a bunch of cowards," the cherry blossom scorned, exchanging a look with Hinata. "Never mind… Hinata, activate your Byakugan,"

She complied.

"Watch carefully, Hinata,"

Sakura focused chakra into her hands, creating a solid blade in her right hand.

"U-uh, Sakura-chan?" Hinata stammered nervously. "Who-who are you going to use it on?"

Hinata's question went unanswered. A look on determination crossed the cherry blossom's face; she braced herself with both feet apart, barely noticing Ino and Tenten approaching them.

Without further hesitation, Sakura raised the blade, preparing herself for the pain about to come- and drove it straight into her lower left arm.

N

"Oi, people!" Ino called indignantly after the troop of boys, who were trying to escape quietly- only to find Tenten blocking the way, hands on hips, looking none too pleased.

"How could you let a lady cut herself?" Tenten demanded, glaring. She turned to Ino. "Man, we've got a bunch of _wimps_ for boyfriends,"

"_Hey_!" Shikamaru and Neji retorted, looking disgruntled.

"It's true." both girls shot back, daring them to argue. The boys knew better than to say anything more.

Meanwhile, Hinata observed Sakura worriedly. The cherry blossom's face was contorted in pain, and her hands shook as she let her chakra blade dissolve. Concentrating chakra into her wound this time, Sakura healed herself.

"See?" the pink-haired kunoichi turned to Hinata, still mending her wound while forcing a smile for the Hyuuga's sake. "This hurts like hell, even when used on the minor muscles. Imagine what it would do if you tore it straight through your opponents' heart,"

Hinata seemed to shudder at the thought. "D-do you n-need any h-help, Sakura-chan?"

"No… this'll only heal properly tomorrow, though… good thing it was my left arm…" Sakura examined her healed arm carefully. "Never mind me… now, you try,"

The Hyuuga heir nodded, bracing herself, waiting for Sakura's instructions.

"Calm down, focus, and gather your chakra,"

N

By dinnertime the next day, Hinata had Chakra Enjintou mastered perfectly. Both temporary sensei and student entered the room, beaming.

"How's the training?" Tenten asked, passing two bowls of udon to them. "Don't worry, we bashed those useless guys up nicely for you," she cast a sideways glance at the four boys, who were busy looking elsewhere.

"Hinata's impressive!" Sakura said happily, taking up her chopsticks. "And thanks!"

Neji raised an eyebrow at her former comment. "Hn," His tone was sarcastic, but Hinata caught the glint of humour in his opaque eyes.

"Stop underestimating your cousin, Hyuuga Neji," Sakura shot at him scathingly, despite knowing that Neji wasn't serious. "She mastered Chakra Enjintou in ten hours, just two hours after my record!"

"You go, Hinata-chan!" Naruto whooped gleefully, cheering her. Hinata's cheeks reddened, and Sakura smiled softly.

The rest of the team beamed at her and offered their congratulations, even Gaara, albeit in a slightly unemotional tone.

But for Hinata, the greatest praise came from seeing Sakura, Naruto and Neji's satisfied faces.

N

"We're setting up North tomorrow, Shikamaru announced after dinner. "We've loitered long enough," he motioned to Sai, who spread out the map provided by Tsunade.

"According to Tsunade Hokage-sama, the scrolls are located in a cave- Horaana Kake Jiku," Neji said coolly, his arms crossed. "We don't know the exact location, though,"

"It's a temple," Gaara spoke suddenly from the back of the room. "A temple in a cave,"

Everyone was stunned. This was something entirely unexpected… Sakura's spirits sank inside her as she spoke.

"Wait. Gaara, why is the cave named that way? 'Scroll Cave' is hardly a name you'd expect a temple to come up with,"

Gaara shrugged, his dark-rimmed eyes watching her intently, as if reading her thoughts. Sakura averted her gaze. The Kazekage looked away, to the inquisitive faces of the Konoha shinobis. "Dunno. Maybe its because of an old legend saying that once, an old man, near death, handed a chest of scrolls to the head monk of that particular temple, pleading with him to safekeep it until the 'right person' came to claim it,"

"Who's the 'right person'?" Sai asked quietly.

"Yeah, yeah! Who?" Naruto demanded excitedly.

Sakura's heart sank lower with each passing second. She knew… but she didn't want to tell. She didn't want them to know. Not just yet.

No one noticed Sakura looking distracted, they were more interested in hearing Gaara's version of the legend.

"No one knows. Apparently, the old man gasped something about 'Konoha' and… I can't remember. He died before the monks could even get his name. The legend said that he had been shot by a poisoned arrow. That's what Baki told me when I was younger… not that I cared, then,"

The team looked disappointed, and doubtful.

"It's just a legend…" Kiba said absently, scratching Akamaru's back.

"Yeah… who knows? It might not be the cave we're looking for, and that'd just be wasting our time…" Ino quipped.

"I agree…" Neji began to speak, but was suddenly interrupted by a certain pink-haired kunoichi, who had stood up suddenly, upsetting her cup of ocha. A servant hurriedly cleaned it up.

"I do not agree,"

Her four words rang clearly through the air, surprising her teammates.

"Sakura…" Naruto said slowly, knowing that this was a sign of Sakura getting angry or impatient. He was ignored blatantly.

"Every legend has some truth behind it," the cherry blossom said quietly, but inside her, she was desperate for them to believe her. This was the cave! She _had_ to convince them about it. "I believe, that this is the cave we're looking for," There was something inexplicably cold about her.

Sakura looked around and saw her teammates' faces, and realized that she had overreacted. They were probably far from believing her right now.

'_You're so stupid!_'' Sakura chided herself inwardly. Out loud, she apologized.

"I'm- sorry,"

Without another word, Sakura left the room.

N

"We can't just lead our team running after legends!" Neji and Shikamaru protested lamely after Sakura's retreating figure, not really sure of what had happened.

The room was silent, until Tenten walked up to the boys, speaking quietly.

"Woman's intuition, guys… it's always right,"

N

_Was that bad? I know it was probably a boring chapter… but this is important to the story for a certain reason, so please bear with me…._

_Jutsu:_

_**(1) Chakra Enjintou**- Like Sakura explained, this technique can cut through your opponents muscles and arteries without breaking your opponent's skin._

_About the flowers, I made that all up. I think the Mythical Fire Flower (Shinwa hi no hana) was in the manga though, and if I've gotten any of the Japanese grammar wrong, sorry! I'm not very good at it!_

_And… next chapter, Sasuke will make an appearance (minor one, though, don't kill me!) so wait for it!_

_Review!_

_Next chapter:_

_Chapter 5- Sandstorm…_

_五 – 风沙！_

_Wait for the next chapter! Bye!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	6. Chapter 5: Sandstorm

_Wow! 43 reviews for five chapters? I love you guys! A lot of people told me the last chapter was 'informative', though I don't know why… heh…_

_I'm totally exhausted, but I tried my best! I promised Sasuke would appear in this chapter, so…_

_Oh, and a note- I might not update for the next three weeks because I desperately need to study for my finals. So… enjoy this!_

_On with the story!_

N

Chapter 5- Sandstorm…

五- 风沙…

"What got into you back there? I swear, you sounded exactly like Neji when he was still bitter about his father 's death…"

Tenten found Sakura sitting atop the high wall surrounding Sunagakure, staring at the receding moon. Sakura turned her face slightly to look at her friend.

The weapons mistress, dressed in a Chinese-style top with long, semi transparent silk-mesh sleeves and shorts, with a short skirt up front and a longer skirt behind, a sash at the waist, was a sight upon the dark night sky.

At first, Sakura remembered, the boyish Tenten had been horrified at the prospect at the very suggestion of a skirt in her new uniform, and it had taken Ino a full week of persuasion and relentless threats to force the 'dress' on her. But when Neji passed by and stopped dead in his tracks at seeing his girlfriend dressed so… Tenten kept it on.

"Haruno Sakura," Tenten said sternly. "Wake up!"

The cherry blossom smiled slightly. "C'mon, sit down,"

The brown-haired kunoichi obliged, and asked her question again. "So, are you going to answer my question or not?"

Sakura was silent for a long while, just looking at Tenten. Inexplicable emotions flickered across her face.

"I… need to tell you something,"

"Spill," Tenten said firmly, turning to look at her friend. She'd sensed something wrong from ages ago, but she knew that Sakura would tell when she wanted to. "I want to know _everything_,"

N

"…so, basically, I'm putting every single one of our lives in danger because Akatsuki is after me," Sakura sighed. "All because of some family secret…"

"I somehow get the feeling it's something more than that, Sakura," Tenten told her thoughtfully. "And I agree- every legend has some truth behind it..."

"Well, then, it's just too bad that our team leaders back there don't seem to believe me," Sakura deadpanned, pushing a lock of her hair out of her face.

Tenten was silent for a long while, just staring at her best friend. "You won't just give up?"

"Huh?"

"Neji and Shikamaru… they respect you. Your opinions. Even _the_ Hyuuga Neji admits that you're one of the last people he'd want to face in battle after you kicked his butt the last time. And I must say… since our first Chunnin exams… you've changed,"

"Changed?" Sakura laughed lightly. "I'm still the same old Sakura…"

"Trust me. You're different. You know what I thought of you when I first saw Team 7? Silly, vain, flirtatious and annoying. Look at you _now_! You know you're no longer a pushover, not like you were one in the first place,"

Sakura looked like she was analyzing Tenten's words, nodding slowly. "You know… 'annoying' was what Sasuke-kun used to call me. It really hurt back then, but when I look back now… I was annoying, wasn't I? And perhaps, a worse idiot than Naruto…" a smile twitched on her lips.

"Absolutely," Tenten laughed. Silence ensued.

"Tenten?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks,"

Tenten's chocolate eyes sparkled as she smiled. "You just have to hang on a little more, Sakura… life was never meant to be easy. Sometimes we don't have a choice about things, but that's just the way it is,"

"Yeah," Sakura said softly, tilting her face upwards to watch the millions of tiny stars shimmering against the dark night sky, a sigh escaping her lips.

"You know, I still wonder of he's looking up at the sky, somewhere out there,"

N

"Orochimaru-sama, why haven't we completed the body switch yet?" A certain silver-haired man wearing round glasses, asked his silent master.

The snake-wielding Sannin frowned slightly beneath his curtain of long, dark hair. His pale skin looked wet and clammy; his eyes were hollow and haunting, looking at Kabuto with an inexplicable expression in them. He disliked his subordinates questioning him, but-

"It should only have taken three years…" Orochimaru rose from his stone seat, taking to pacing his dark chamber, an aura of frustration radiating off him. "He is perfectly strong and capable, and he is ready- but the Uchiha is resisting!"

The villain's voice came out as a vehement hiss, venting his bottled-up anger. It was a well-known fact that Orochimaru disliked things not going according to plan- one of his weaknesses.

"How is it so, Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto smoothly tried to appease the Sannin. Having the snake-wielder in a bad mood was not on his to-do list. Definitely not. The last time that happened, he'd been made to wait on the Uchiha hand-and-foot for a week. _Not_ a pleasant experience.

Orochimaru failed to notice his subordinate's musings. "You saw how he can control his curse seal, Kabuto. He is no ordinary boy, whatever anyone says about Itachi. Seventeen, and he is already stronger than me!" the villain raised his voice. "He is perfect for me- but he has not yet achieved his revenge, and until then… I cannot take him,"

"Then… you are not going to assist him in his revenge?" Kabuto asked cautiously.

"Of course not!" Orochimaru snapped. "Do you have any idea of what Itachi can do, Kabuto? The excuse was just an illusion, and nothing more! An excuse to get him on my side!"

"But with his iron will…"

"That is why we need that scroll! The secret of crumbling even the strongest!" Orochimaru had lost his cool. "We leave in two days, Kabuto. Tell Sasuke-kun to get ready," his voice dropped to a hiss.

"As you wish…" Kabuto retreated silently with a bow. A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth as he exited the chamber. Orochimaru was the very reflection of a man who no longer had confidence, who no longer knew his strengths.

N

His onyx eyes scanned the dark horizon, covered with glittering stars. The slight breeze whipped through his messy hair, swaying his white shirt.

They were nearing the Wind Country's border, he could tell. Somewhere at the North. The air was extremely chilly, now that it was night, and the breeze carried grains of sand.

Sasuke thought about his situation. He wasn't dumb. He knew, from the start, that Orochimaru would never help him with his revenge. If that man could handle Itachi, why choose Sasuke as a container? Any person with average brains would choose the more powerful counterpart of the two remaining members of the Uchiha clan.

But Sasuke had his own tricks. Orochimaru was not to get his wish until the shinobi had his revenge. After that, Sasuke couldn't care less what happened.

His face was like porcelain. It felt like porcelain. Smooth, and emotionless. But his heart remained untouched by Orochimaru. It stilled harboured his growing revenge, and the thought of his team. His old life.

He wondered how Naruto and Sakura were. Despite his claims of forgetting everything for revenge, they had entered his heart. The duo had made their mark, and they were determined not to be erased from his memory anytime soon. Naruto and his brotherliness… his constant, 'pointless' challenges… Sasuke wouldn't admit it, but the reason he always strove so hard was because he was afraid Naruto would do better.

Males and their egos…

Sakura… the pink-haired kunoichi was annoying. Her infatuation was irritating. But he had to admit, somewhere inside… having two friends who really cared made a difference. They kept coming back for him, willing to help him up when he was falling. Even though he had shattered all their hopes, they never gave up on him.

Vaguely, he wondered if Naruto would still view him as a worthy opponent. The jinchuuriki was a man of honour, not power. After Sasuke had betrayed them… would Naruto still treat him like the 'brother' he'd claimed Sasuke was.

Sasuke let a quiet sigh escaped his lips. With one last glance at the beautiful night sky, he turned and walked back into their hideout.

Somewhere in the dim recesses of his mind, he, too, wondered if somewhere, somehow… the rest of Team 7 were staring up at the same, starry night sky.

N

Ino and Hinata were gossiping when Sakura and Tenten returned from their night walk. Okay, it was more like Ino was doing all the gossiping and Hinata was listening meekly.

"Oi, Ino! Stop filling the poor girl's head with all your gossip!" Tenten laughed, plopping onto her soft bed. "Neji'll have your head,"

"Fine!" Ino pouted in a sulk, while Hinata and Sakura laughed, looking at each other. If there was one thing Sakura loved about her three friends, it was their capacity to forgive and forget. They never held anything against her, no matter what happened.

Just then, a knock sounded on their door. Sakura opened it- only to be greeted by a certain blond kunoichi with her hair set back in four ponytails.

"Temari!" Sakura exclaimed, stepping aside to let the young woman in. Temari was greeted by a chorus of 'hello's from all in the room.

"Hey… it's been a long time since I saw you girls…"Temari laughed, sitting on a nearby chair. "How's it been going with the guys?" she added slyly.

Sakura laughed lightly at the faces of her friends. Ino was the first to recover.

"You're calling at an _ungodly_ hour… it's one a.m. …" the girl smirked, propping herself up on her elbows on her bed.

"I just wanted to check if you guys were all right," Temari laughed. "There's a real bad sandstorm howling out there…"

The other four Konoha kunoichis looked out of their closed balcony window. Zero visibility. Sand was churning like a tornado outside.

"Who'd be out in a sandstorm like _that_?" Tenten said incredulously.

"Guess," Temari teased.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Sakura said exasperatedly. "That _idiot_!"

"Exactly," the Sand kunoichi grinned. "He went out for a walk and didn't notice the red flag, apparently,"

"W-will N-Naruto-kun be alright?" Hinata asked nervously.

"Well, Hyuuga and Inuzuka are searching for him…"Temari replied. "They're definitely not happy… Naruto is so dead,"

"He'll survive, Hinata," Sakura said evenly. "Man, he can be a great shinobi sometimes, but at other times… he's _hopeless_,"

"Won't do us any good worrying," Ino grinned, unconcerned. "Let's just leave the menfolk to worry about our _dear_ teammate, shall we?"

"Yeah, sure," Tenten laughed. "We'll find Naruto in about twenty pieces scattered across the world tomorrow, regardless of whether he makes it back in one piece or not tonight,"

Ino nodded happily. "Meanwhile, Temari, get your stuff over and we'll have an all-girls sleepover… I hear you've got a new boyfriend…"

N

They'd gone against the 'no sleeping' rules of a sleepover and fallen asleep haphazardly, Sakura lying against the head of the bed, Tenten sprawled at the foot; Hinata was sleeping in a sitting position on the floor leaning against the bedframe, while Temari was sleeping in the chair.

The five kunoichis were up at the crack of dawn, courtesy to their internal alarm systems, yawning and rubbing their tired eyes. The outside sky was still dark, but the air was still and quiet. The sandstorm, apparently, had stopped.

However, within a few moments- another storm started- inside the room. Three of the five kunoichis were fighting tooth and nail to get the bathroom first.

"Me first!"

"Oh no you don't!"

"Geroff, Ino! You always take ages in the bathroom!"

"I'm going!"

Temari sighed, hands on hips, and turned to face the shy Hyuuga. "They're always like this, aren't they?"

"M-m… yes…" Hinata stammered.

"C'mon, you can use the one in my room," Temari invited.

Nodding a silent thanks, Hinata slipped out of the room with Temari.

N

By the time all five girls arrive downstairs for breakfast, they boys were already attacking the buffet like there was no tomorrow. Naruto, it seemed, was still in one piece, gobbling happily away. Ino, Hinata and Temari gladly joined the food riot, leaving Tenten and Sakura surveying the whole scene.

Gaara, as expected, was at the head of the table. Kankuro was nowhere to be seen, Neji and Shikamaru were beside the Kazekage, sitting with their arms crossed and facing each other. Neither looked angry at Naruto, which probably explained why the hyperactive ninja was still alive. But the look on their faces- was one of unrest and unease.

"Something's not right," Sakura spoke, frowning. She knew Tenten felt the same thing. Both kunoichi's had suddenly lost their appetite for breakfast, they felt the tension in the air.

Oh yes. Something was _definitely_ wrong.

Just then, the Hyuuga genius spotted the two girls and knew that they sensed it. Silently, he motioned to the two kunoichis and his co-leader to follow him, and left the room .

N

"Spill," Tenten ordered as soon as the door closed behind them in the next room. "We know that look,"

"What happened last night? You guys went out to search for Naruto, right?" Sakura queried, leaning against a wall with her arms crossed.

"Yeah, while you girls were nicely and warmly huddled up in your tiny room, we were looking for that idiot out in the sandstorm," Shikamaru deadpanned.

"Rub it in," Tenten said sarcastically.

"Hey, quit it already. We just want to know what happened," Sakura broke the oncoming fight. "Neji?"

"Remember last night's sandstorm? The way everything was zero visibility?" Neji started. "Naturally, I used the Byakugan… guess what I saw,"

"Uh…" Sakura said slowly.

"Someone was standing on the wall surrounding Suna. I tried to get a closer look, but Naruto chose _that_ very moment to fly right into me," Neji said distastefully. "By the time I got up, whoever that person was, was gone,"

"But-but- I don't understand!" Tenten stammered, confused. "What would that person have to do with the sandstorm?"

"D'you know what the characteristics of a sandstorm are, Tenten?" Shikamaru asked.

The weapons mistress shook her head.

"The sand… it was flying in different directions…" realization struck Sakura, her voice was soft and barely audible.

"And?" Tenten asked, still confused.

"When sandstorms occur, sand will usually be flying in only one direction because of the seasonal and directional winds. No sandstorm ever has a messy formation… which was exactly why yesterday's sandstorm made us suspicious,"

"That means… it was deliberately done," Tenten said, finally understanding. "Because they would need lots of manpower to create a real sandstorm, and it wasn't genjutsu,"

"The creator was trying too hard to fool us, and ended up making a huge mistake instead," Neji finished simply.

"And you don't think that it's-" Sakura was cut off by a whirl of sand that materialized beside her.

Gaara stood with his feet apart and arms crossed, his eyes narrowed in displeasure. His dark-rimmed eyes studied the four Konoha shinobis emotionlessly, the tone of his voice was flat.

"It's Akatsuki. Definitely,"

N

_Hehe… I dunno if that was a cliff or not, but… whatever. I hope you guys like this part, and yes, SASUKE MADE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE! Yay!_

_Once again, thanks a million for all the wonderful reviews, and I hope this chapter will be received well as well… you guys rock, totally!_

_So, now you know that Orochimaru is after the scrolls as well… what'll happen next?_

_Next chapter:_

_Chapter 6- Desert Oasis_

_六 – 沙漠中的绿色天堂_

_Leave me a review! And wait for my next update!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	7. Chapter 6: Desert Oasis

_HAHAHAHAHA… my finals are OVER!!!!! Yay!!! _

_I fluked a lot of subjects, though… ah… sad…_

_I finally managed to update! This chapter totally rocks… and thanks for the sixty-seven reviews I have so far!!!! Hopefully, I'll have a hundred by the next chapter…. I'm waiting…._

_Okay, let's get this story going before everyone else kills me._

_Enjoy!_

N

Chapter 6- Desert Oasis

六- 沙漠中的绿色天堂

"Akatsuki. So…" Sakura breathed, exchanging a sideways glance with Tenten, her heart throbbing as she said those words- the words that she knew was an absolute lie.

"They're after Naruto, obviously,"

She felt the pressure of the lie. Trying to deceive herself wasn't going to work for long.

"We think they want something else as well," Shikamaru uncrossed his arms and stepped forward. Sakura could've sworn that her heart stopped for a few moments. Was this it? Did they know the truth already?

"The scrolls," Tenten said promptly, seeing Sakura's face.

"Exactly," Neji deadpanned. "We've got to beat them to it,"

"Easy for you to say…" Shikamaru said lazily, sighing. "Man, this is-"

"Troublesome," three Konoha shinobis cut in dryly.

"We know, Shikamaru, so stop complaining already," Tenten quipped. "Doesn't make any difference. It's still a mission that we've got to complete,"

"Does anyone else know?" Sakura queried, looking at the Hyuuga prodigy.

"Only the five of us. And I prefer we keep it that way," Neji replied coolly. "We don't want the rest worrying, they're far too vulnerable. We need Naruto fired up to keep the others going, or we'll be fighting a losing battle for sure,"

The four shinobis nodded, understanding.

"I'm positive that all of us can be trusted and not give way to emotion," Neji continued, his tone firm.

"But Temari will have to know, right? If Gaara-sama's coming, she'll be taking charge," Shikamaru started, looking at the Kazekage. "Right?"

"With Baki as her advisor, yes. Sometimes Temari can make the most ridiculous decisions," Gaara said dryly.

"Only Temari, then. No one else," Neji finished.

"If we're done, let's get going. The others might get suspicious, even though I doubt it," Tenten said, motioning to the audible food riot outside. "Judging by all that noise,"

They could hear Naruto and Kiba bickering all the way from the dining hall, with some colourful language not really fit to be on a printed page.

"HEY! That was _my_ piece of chicken, you bastard!"

"Shut up, you moron! _I_ got it first!"

"No you didn't! _I_ got it first!"

"Even Akamaru says I got it first! _Geroff_ !"

"Gimme back my piece of chicken!"

"Stop yelling in my ear!"

"Not until I get my chicken back!"

"MORON!!"

"BASTARD!!"

The sounds of a scuffle ensued.

The Konoha shinobis sweatdropped. Gaara let out a sigh.

"Well, I better go make sure those two don't dismantle my house completely,"

Neji nodded. Gaara and Shikamaru headed out, Sakura and Tenten were about to follow when a certain Hyuuga prodigy's voice rang out behind them.

"Wait,"

Sakura could've sworn her heart stopped beating for a few moments. She could sense it. Neji knew what she had been hiding. Slowly, the kunoichi turned around, awaiting the death sentence pending.

"Yeah?"

"The scrolls belong to your clan, don't they?" Neji spoke, straight to the point. "And Akatsuki is after _you_ this time,"

The pink-haired girl was silent for a long while.

"Why did you keep it from us?" Neji's voice was quiet, undemanding.

Silence.

"I didn't want anyone to worry… I thought it was my own problem, something I had to deal with myself," Sakura replied, looking at her feet. Part of that was true. She also knew that by not telling at least her team leaders, she had put everyone into unpredictable danger. But she preferred not to think about that now.

To her surprise, Hyuuga Neji was smiling. Slightly, but a smile was a smile.

"You're becoming like the Uchiha, you know that?"

Sakura looked up sharply. He- he- was comparing her to- to- _Sasuke_?

"You're inheriting that _'this is my problem and I'll deal with it alone'_ attitude of his," Neji said before Sakura could even get started. "I had that problem. But you have to consider that everything you do, everything concerning you, will affect the team. Did you ever think about that?"

"Yes," Sakura said softly. "I did,"

"You were afraid that we would reject you, right?"

She nodded.

"You should've known that none of us would be that lowly,"

"It was my fault," Sakura said quietly. "I was selfish. But you have to understand that even I didn't know how to handle this in the beginning. And it isn't easy to tell people that I'm a danger magnet,"

"That's why I'm not telling this to the entire team," Neji folded his arms, his face stern. "You're let off for this once. But no more secrets, Haruno,"

The cherry blossom's face broke into a smile. "Sure thing,"

Tenten, who had been silent all the while, grinned. "Case solved, let's get going," she motioned to the door.

Sakura strode towards her best friend, before halting suddenly and turning back to face the Hyuuga prodigy.

"One more question, Neji,"

"Hn,"

"How did you know?"

Neji motioned to his opaque eyes, a slight smile plastered on his face.

"I can see everything, after all,"

N

Even the opaque-eyed prodigy had to admit, they had chosen a bad time to travel. The scorching sun bore down on their hunched figures, dragging their feet through the soft sand.

Lee was supporting a groaning and complaining jinchuuriki, Shikamaru gave Ino a piggyback after her relentless pleading. Neji sighed inwardly.

He was proud of the other kunoichis in his team. Tenten and Sakura showed no sign of giving up even though they were drenched in sweat, and Hinata did not complain despite looking utterly exhausted.

He knew Lee well enough to know that the thick brows never gave up. Sai was emotionless, as always, Kiba was muttering to Akamaru. Shikamaru, for once, did not utter a word about the mission being 'troublesome', while Gaara, probably used to the scorching desert weather, walked calm and upright before him.

Wanting to maintain his image as a Hyuuga, Neji kept his composure. But after another two hours in the sweltering heat, slipping and sinking into sand, even he silently admitted defeat.

"N-Neji nii-san… gomen… but I really can't…" Hinata staggered, and Sakura caught her, on the verge of collapsing herself.

"Okay- Neji- I… really can't- go any- farther…" Tenten sank to the ground on her knees, her lips parched. Neji looked reluctant.

"Let the rest, Hyuuga," Gaara looked back, his expression unreadable. Without waiting for an answer or any sign of consent, the young Kazekage waved a hand, creating a sandy dome around them, shielding them from the sun.

Immediately everyone collapsed on the soft sand.

"Some wind, anyone…" Naruto groaned.

"I'll handle that," Sai said emotionlessly, releasing four phoenixes out of two scrolls, allowing them to soar inside the 'tent', creating a light breeze around the thankful shinobis.

"This is the life…" Ino drawled, spread-eagled on the soft sand. Lee and Kiba fingered the solid sand walls curiously. Sakura went around tirelessly, healing blisters and sores while Hinata and Tenten divided the food and water.

N

Healing was no easy job, and by the time she was finished, Sakura was exhausted. She plopped down beside a calm, quiet Sai, who was busy inking and sealing an assortment of animals into empty scrolls.

"How do you stay so calm, Sai-kun?" Sakura sighed, massaging her sore legs while accepting Hinata's offer of water, gulping down the entire bottle in one go.

"Shouldn't that question be directed at Gaara-sama or Neji-san?" Sai continued drawing, not looking up.

"Well, you're the nearest one to me right now," Sakura retorted with less vigour than usual, she was too tired to argue with an emotionless boy.

"To answer your question, I simply don't bother about others like you always do, ugly old hag," Sai spared her a quick glance.

Too tired to answer, Sakura simply closed her eyes and let sleep overcome her.

N

Kakashi leapt agilely from bough to bough, careful not to rustle any leaves. His senses were sharp and alert for any suspicious signs or movements, as a Jounin's should be.

He had chosen the path up North of the Fire Country before turning west, towards the Wind country. He didn't need to go through Sunagakure, anyway, and he'd rather avoid miles of hot, open desert.

His single eye roamed the green land for hidden traps and enemies. He'd met some robbers and all, trying to sneak up on him (_idiots_)… but they were handled easily enough. Still, it never hurt to be cautious.

Pakkun panted as it followed Kakashi. "Oi, Kaka-bastard! Slow down! I'm getting old, you know!"

"This is a mission. How slow d'you want me to go?" the Copy Ninja didn't miss a beat.

:You were the one who wanted me to come along, baka,"

"For company,"

"Because _someone_ couldn't come along…"

"Sakura's on a mission,"

"AHA! So you wanted her to come!" Pakkun declared triumphantly. "Hey, you in love or something?"

Kakashi glared daggers at the over-talkative dog. "She's like my sister, baka… the only one in Team 7 who ever opened up to me… you know that Sasuke and Naruto were always interested only in achieving what _they_ wanted… she had very different goals,"

"Aww… how sweet… _the_ Hatake Kakashi admitting that he's got a soft spot!" Pakkun said sarcastically.

"Just shut up," Kakashi muttered. "Like you'd ever understand…"

"Haha. Very funny," Pakkun snorted a little. "You better not get me killed in this mission, Kakashi… I'm not your field agent, I'm just an innocent little bystander,"

"Innocent bystander?" Kakashi snorted. "We've got a mission to complete, Pakkun, so just shut up and buck up already,"

N

In the shadows of the trees, a figure lurked, listening to their every word. As soon as the duo was out of sight, the figure chuckled dryly.

"Hatake Kakashi… the forest is a really bad place to hold personal conversations…"

N

Kabuto adjusted his glasses and squinted through the dim light to see the body he was working on. Silently he cursed Orochimaru for always choosing the dull, dark places to stay. Medic nins needed light, for goodness' sake.

He stopped for a moment to reflect.

Hidden Sound was crumbling rapidly. Putting high-handed, powerful ninjas all in one village was not paying off. Everyone wanted the best for oneself, co-operation was non-existent. No one dared determine where their loyalties lay, who was a friend and who was a foe. Everyone was a suspect, let down your guard for two seconds and you were a dead man.

Orochimaru was desperate. Metempsychosis (1) had failed for the first time, and the snake Sannin did not take failure well. Besides, there was no guarantee that it would succeed, even this time. The Uchiha blood was not yet his.

Otogakure was under control when Orochimaru had a clearer mind, but now his mind was filled with nothing but acquiring Sasuke's body as his own. It had become his obsession, his weakness, and his empire was crumbling with him.

Kabuto smiled to himself. The outcome of this battle had already been decided when Orochimaru began to fear his own apprentice.

"Uchiha Sasuke… you are one remarkable boy…"

N

The Konoha shinobis had to learn the harshness of the desert- even at night- the hard way.

Everyone was nearly frozen stark stiff. The chilly winds nipped at their pale, cold, exposed faces scathingly, until their skin felt almost raw. No one spoke, everyone merely struggled against the blowing wind with their eyes narrowed to prevent sand from blinding them.

Sakura pulled her light brown cloak tightly around her shoulders and looked around enviously at the other girls, who had the boys' protective arms around them, shielding them from the wind.

The formation had been totally forgotten. Gaara, totally unfazed, walked forward calmly, leading the group. Neji and Tenten, Naruto and Hinata, Shikamaru and Ino followed. Kiba was too busy protecting Akamaru to notice anything or anyone else, Lee and Sai walked unfailingly behind her.

Sakura shivered slightly, still trying to act like a tough kunoichi while her feet were shaking and her tightly clenched teeth still managed to chatter uncontrollably. She barely felt any warmth from her cloak.

Just then, she felt an arm placed firmly around her shoulders, and jolted.

It was Sai. _Sai_. What was happening to the world?

"Sai?" Sakura asked quizzically.

"You're uncomfortable with this?" Sai asked emotionlessly, not letting go of his grip on her visibly trembling shoulders.

"No… this just isn't… _normal_… for you,"

"Get used to it, then. And don't mistake my intentions, you're just a friend to me… ugly,"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say," Sakura managed a dry smile. "Arigatou, Sai-kun,"

"Hn," was the extent of his reply, but the kunoichi could've sworn that there had been a twitch at the corner of his mouth- the first sign of a real smile.

N

"We're almost there,"

Everyone looked up, hope crossing their perspiring faces. After seemingly endless days of braving the bizarre desert weather conditions, that sentence was all they wanted to hear.

The Kazekage looked at the group f shinobis behind him, shaking his head slightly while trying to contain a smile. They'd made it this far, after all…

"We'll take a break…" Shikamaru panted. "Is that a mirage, or do I see an oasis?"

"It's real," Gaara said dryly, turning to head towards the lush heaven spread before them, complete with a clear blue lake and shady trees, located right under a rocky cliff whose peak was too high to be seen.

Gratefully, the rest of the Leaf shinobis trailed behind him, comforted by the thought of achieving one of their mission objectives by tomorrow.

N

Somehow, Sakura distrusted this place. She studied her surroundings as she sat on the grassy bank of the lake alone, watching her friends ramble around, exploring the oasis while laughing and joking.

This place wasn't created by genjutsu, she was sure of that. But she had that tingling feeling in her gut, her intuition was telling her that something was about to happen. She couldn't shake off that sense of foreboding, even if she wanted to. Sakura trusted her intuition.

She vaguely saw Kiba and Akamaru, flanked by a singing Lee, heading towards the lake with its cool, inviting water. Lee's singing was terrible, but somehow Sakura was oblivious to it. She kept feeling something… something….

A sudden jolt shook Sakura's body as images filled her mind and the terrified cherry blossom reached out a hand to try and stop the two boys from touching the water.

Yet no sound escaped her throat, her body was rigid and unable to move as she watched them bending, in slow motion, closer and closer towards the glassy surface of the water… before she found her movement and voice again.

In milliseconds, the kunoichi was on her feet and racing towards them at top speed, a strangled cry escaping her lips as she ran.

"Kiba! Lee! _NO_!"

Kiba and Lee straightened suddenly to look at Sakura, totally confused by her sudden outburst.

Too late. Akamaru's white paw touched the surface of the water, sending little waves rippling across the still surface of the water.

And hell broke loose.

N

Neji leaned against a tree, his opaque eyes watching Naruto talking to Hinata and making her blush and laugh. His eyes narrowed.

After Hinata had shyly excused herself, stammering, to help Ino do something, Neji strolled up behind the hyperactive ninja quietly.

"Naruto,"

"Yeah, Neji?" the jinchuuriki turned to face his team leader, smiling but curious.

"Come with me for a sec," Neji ordered, walking towards the trees.

"Geez, what is this about?" Naruto grumbled, scrambling through the prickling bush with as much grace as a herd of stampeding elephants, before bumping into a solid chest head-on.

Naruto looked up, only to find Neji staring down at him.

"What?"

"You like Hinata,"

It wasn't a question, Hyuuga Neji was making a blunt statement. His gaze never wandered, never wavered. After all, he _was_ one of Konoha's best interrogators.

This was scary.

"Y-Yeah?" Naruto shook slightly. Neji had a way of scaring the wits out of a person. _'What's up with him?' _

Neji's right hand flew out suddenly and slammed Naruto into a tree. Naruto let out an indignant yelp. "What was _that_ for?" he hollered, getting angry.

The Hyuuga genius, unfazed, spoke stoically.

"Don't hurt her. If you do…"

"Then what?" Naruto didn't mean that he would ever hurt Hinata, but he was curious.

"Then you can kiss your beloved ramen goodbye,"

"Uh… why?" the hyperactive ninja sweatdropped.

"Because," Neji smirked satisfactorily, dropping Naruto and turning to walk away. He paused, glancing sideways at Naruto.

"I don't think there's gonna be any ramen in hell,"

N

"NO!"

Sakura's piercing yell rang through the air. Neji and Naruto looked at each other, expressions hardening, before sprinting out of the bushes swiftly.

By the lake, a sight met their eyes. The rest of the team were staring, with a mixture of horror and awe at the _thing_ rising out of the water from beside the lake.

The clear blue lake water rippled in wide circles, creating waves that washed upon the shore violently. The ground shook, Kiba and Lee sprang back quickly to avoid falling into the lake altogether.

A screech, somewhat terrible, yet beautiful and powerful, echoed endlessly through the silent sky.

Everyone subconsciously edged away from the _thing_, with three exceptions. Sai remained rigidly still, as did Gaara, their faces ever expressionless. Sakura-

Sakura was walking _towards_ the creature.

N

"What is she _doing_!" Naruto bellowed disbelievingly. "Does she know what that thing can do?"

Neji's opaque eyes narrowed. Sakura wasn't that stupid, or rash. Unless-

"Byakugan!"

The Hyuuga prodigy scanned the scene carefully, picking every minor detail out for examination. He saw nothing out of place, nothing to indicate that the entire thing had been a set up or a trap.

"No, this isn't genjutsu," he spoke quietly. "This- is the real thing,"

Naruto watched the huge phoenix, in all its golden glory, with its majestic seven tails swishing as it rose gracefully, in awe. He let out a low whistle, impressed by the pure beauty and power of the creature.

"So…" he breathed. "This… is the Nanabi,"

N

_Eh… cliffhanger!!! For those who don't know what these words are-_

_Metempsychosis- the process in which Orochimaru inhabits a new body._

_Nanabi- the seven-tailed beast, like the Kyubi (nine tails) in Naruto. Since I think no one knows the Nanabi yet, I used it in this story. It plays a major part, so… pay attention!_

_Kakashi made an appearance in this chapter… hope you guys liked that part! Sasuke will appear again in the next chapter, sorry because he wasn't in this one._

_I won't be updating next week, I'm not gonna be free. That leaves you plenty of time to review. Hehe…_

_I hope you guys like this chapter. Really. Leave me a review!_

_Oh, and the next chapter will be dedicated to my 100th reviewer (if there even **is** a 100th reviewer) _

_Next chapter:_

_Chapter 7- The Nanabi_

_七-七尾神_

_Well, have a great day…_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	8. Chapter 7: The Nanabi

_82 reviews? sigh No hundredth reviewer, I guess… Never mind. To all my anonymous reviewers, thanks to all of you for reviewing!!! I loved every single one of the reviews…_

_I've tried my best to reply to every review, if I've forgotten you, please tell me._

_Quite a few people asked me why Sakura was walking towards the Nanabi. That will be explained in the next few chapters…_

_This chapter doesn't focus that much on our favourite Konoha shinobis; it has three parts- from our team's point of view; Sasuke's point of view; and Akatsuki's point of view. Should be interesting…_

_So? Enjoy!!!_

N

Chapter 7- The Nanabi

七- 七尾神

"It's like she's possessed or something," Neji said grimly. "Naruto, back me up. I'm going to immobilize her," the Hyuuga braced himself to execute the Sixty-Four Hands of Hakke.

"No," Naruto suddenly stopped him, his narrowed blue eyes watching Sakura intently. He could see her eyes- they told him all he needed to know.

"What?"

"Don't do it, Neji," Naruto said quietly. "Sakura-chan knows what she's doing, trust me,"

"She's _walking_ towards the seven-tailed demon and you say she knows what she's doing," Neji remarked stonily, beginning his hand seals. "You should be panicking,"

Naruto ignored his sarcasm.

"Tenten will tell you the same thing,"

At this, Neji paused. The brown-haired kunoichi was running up to the duo at top speed. "Don't, Neji! Not that move! Sakura _knows _what she's doing!"

"And has she personally told you that? If I were you, I wouldn't believe her," Neji said icily, beginning to doubt his friends' sanity.

'No, Neji," Tenten took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "But you don't know her like we do… it's in her eyes…"

Neji looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face, as if he wasn't sure of whether if to believe her or not.

At long last, he turned his Byakugan towards Tsunade's apprentice. He caught the look in her eyes, the determination, and at the same time, uncertainty and fear- it was all reflected in her emerald eyes.

And for that moment, he could've sworn that he could read every single thought running through her confused mind.

N

'_Hello, Sakura…'_

The Nanabi's feminine voice rang through the empty vortex of her mind. The cherry blossom jolted in obvious surprise, halting right before the magnificent tailed beast.

'_How… how do you know my name?'_ she whispered in her mind. She had no choice- no words came out of her mouth.

'_Because I've been waiting for you,'_

'_For me…?'_

'_The last remaining member of the Haruno clan, correct?'_

'_Yes…'_

'_I am the guardian of the scrolls you seek,'_ the demon phoenix told her quietly, its voice echoing through her mind.

'_How…? Forgive me if this sounds insulting, but you're supposed to be destructive, supposed to be sealed within a jinchuuriki,'_

'_Unlike my brothers, I do not destroy. Everything bad must be countered with something good, thus my existence. And also-'_

The Nanabi paused.

'_-my jinchuuriki- is you,'_

'_**WHAT?'**_

This time, Sakura felt like the ground had just disappeared from underneath her, and collapsed to her knees.

'_I have got to be dreaming… this CAN'T be true!'_ Sakura screamed into the blankness of her unfocused mind.

'_You have to trust me, Sakura… Akatsuki already has seven of my eight brothers, Naruto, containing the Kyuubi, is the only one left, and me. We have to stop them. Akatsuki wants you because they know that you're the only one who can neutralize_ _and seal the jinchuuriki, with my help,'_ the Nanabi explained patiently.

'_And… the scrolls? What are they for?'_ the pink cherry blossom was totally overwhelmed by the sudden input of knowledge, shaking with confusion and fear of what would happen next.

'_There are two. One is for sealing the nine jinchuuriki together, once you've retrieved the other eight. The other- is a family secret of your clan. I know not the contents of that scroll,'_

'_What- what do I have to do?' _Sakura asked helplessly, sinking to the ground on her knees before the seven-tailed demon.

'_**I **have to enter your body temporarily,'_ the Nanabi explained.

'_How-how can I be sure that I won't destroy everything in my path with- with you in_ _me?'_ Sakura was doubtful, her tone betraying fear. She- Haruno Sakura- the jinchuuriki of the Nanabi?

Impossible.

But then again…

'_Just one question , Sakura… do you trust me? If you don't trust me now, nothing will stop Akatsuki later. They'll find me, and capture me, and then they'll take the Uzumaki boy- and all will be lost. Can you really live with the knowledge that you were_ _the cause of all that?'_ the Nanabi pressed further.

The pink haired kunoichi was silent, contemplating her decision.

'_It's not my fault if Akatsuki takes over the world!' _ Sakura yelled furiously into her mind.

'_Please, Sakura… just this: reunite me and my brothers again, seal us up with the scroll, and it's over. I'll be gone, the Kyuubi will be gone, and Uzumaki can lead a free life. I promise. Please,'_

'_Easy for you to say,'_ The sarcasm was pretty much lost in her whirlwind of emotions. Sakura shook her head bitterly, not quite able to comprehend exactly what she was feeling. Which choice? Trust the Nanabi, and save everything she loved at the price of her own life, or walk away from this burden?

'_There wasn't any choice to begin with,'_ Sakura thought bitterly, letting her tears flow as she buried her face in her hands.

'_Why me?'_

N

"Okay. That's it," Kiba growled as the Nanabi reached out a golden wing to touch the trembling Sakura's back. "I don't know what that thing is doing and I don't care. All I know is that it ain't touching our teammate,"

The animal specialist began running towards the seven-tailed demon furiously, performing his jutsu with Akamaru by his side. The rest, exchanging hesitant looks, followed, save for Gaara, who did not budge.

"I'm not sure about this…" Naruto hissed to Tenten as he followed, running.

"Neither am I," the brown-haired kunoichi said grimly. "But it doesn't look like we have a choice,"

N

Nearing the Nanabi, the Konoha shinobis began executing their highest level jutsu, preparing to hit the tailed demon with everything they had.

The Nanabi looked up at the group charging towards it but stayed still, unresponsive. Sakura looked up to the commotion, staring in horror as she saw the range of attacks directed at the Nanabi behind her. Every kind of jutsu imaginable was headed towards the golden phoenix.

There was no way any mortal alive could've stopped the impact of that attack, but in a moment of impulse, Sakura leapt between her teammates and the Nanabi, crying out her plea, the expression of her face one of horror and fear.

"NO! STOP!"

Too late. Her team was going way too fast to stop in time, to avoid hitting their own teammate. Nanoseconds before impact, a golden streak of light dived towards Sakura's slender frame, engulfing her completely.

The cherry blossom let out a piercing scream that struck the heart of all those who heard it as the attacks hit her simultaneously. The Nanabi had disappeared, and Sakura's limp body flew right across the lake, crashing into the solid rock cliff and slumped down, covered in her own blood.

N

The Konoha shinobis stared in utter horror, silent and rigid. All their most powerful attacks… had hit the pink-haired kunoichi in one go. She couldn't- _couldn't_ be alive.

No one moved. The air was still, there was nothing but silence.

Naruto was the first to regain himself. "Oh no," he whispered, taking off running towards his teammate. His loud, desperate voice echoed through the silent air, calling, hoping with every fibre in his soul that Sakura-

"SAKURA!"

N

A certain onyx-eyed young man was in the middle of training using his katana when he heard the shattering scream. Moments later, he heard _that_ voice. His sword arm fell limply to his side. For a moment, he forgot the world around him. He was vaguely aware of the rapid beats of his usually calm heart, triggered by a bout of inexplicable emotions.

Who screamed?

That voice… faint, but clear. And that name… that familiar name…

There was no denying it. His team was close by. Naruto and Sakura… they were here. Were they looking for him?

With a slight pang of guilt in his heart, Sasuke remembered the way he'd treated them the last time they found him in Orochimaru's lair. He didn't deserve them. He didn't deserve the way they came back every single time, looking for him, pleading with him to return.

Ready to forgive him.

Then the Uchiha's slackened grip tightened on his katana again as he slashed a dummy's head right off, furious at his own obvious weakness. He could not afford to be thinking about his old life when he had other issues to deal with.

'_I am an avenger. I live to kill the one who destroyed my life,' _

Somehow, that line no longer sounded right. Nothing ever seemed right to him now. Orochimaru had tried to take over his body forcefully, two years ago, but failed. Every since the Snake Sannin had tried to use him, to take over his body without keeping his end of the bargain, Sasuke had begun to doubt the path he chose.

'_Help me kill Itachi…'_ Sasuke let out a quiet hollow laugh. _'How shallow does he think I am?'_

'_You literally gave yourself to him,'_ his conscience smirked. _'If that isn't shallow, what is?'_

'_Shut up,'_ Sasuke growled mentally, preparing to strike another dummy.

'_SAKURA!'_

Sasuke's sword arm fell again as he heard the echoing call he had heard just minutes ago resounding in his mind.

Something was wrong.

He could feel it. He thought it had been just a playful call, Naruto's usual, boisterous self, but now that he had heard it replaying in his mind…

The call sounded desperate. And Naruto didn't usually sound desperate.

What had happened? Why had Sakura, if it was her, screamed?

What if they were being attacked? What if Akatsuki had found them? Or, worse still, what if _Itachi_ was killing them right now?

"Sasuke-kun,"

Kabuto walked into the training grounds haltingly. Sasuke wasn't one to stop in the middle of training, he valued time too much. It probably was nothing, but it never hurt to be cautious around an Uchiha.

"Is… everything alright?"

Sasuke suddenly snapped back into reality, eyeing Kabuto coldly. He did not trust the medic nin in the least.

"What is it."

He never asked questions, he simply made statements.

"Orochimaru-sama says it's time to go," Kabuto explained quietly, adjusting his glasses. "We have to continue our… journey,"

Sasuke nodded curtly, dismissing the medic nin. This 'journey' they had been on had lasted for two weeks, seemingly going nowhere. He had no idea where they were going, and had been unable to find out anything so far, but he sensed something.

The Uchiha suddenly found his thoughts wandering to Team 7. Gripping the sword in his hand, he lightly touched the blade of his katana, reminding himself of his purpose with Orochimaru.

'_I am here to get stronger, to kill Itachi. I will not waste time worrying about my old life. I will forget Konoha. I will forget Team 7. I have only one objective, and-'_

The onyx-eyed boy turned to walk out of the training grounds.

'_I have no regrets,'_

N

Seijin watched Hyozan distastefully as the latter frantically tried to rid himself of the smell of dog pee in the river, muttering and cursing all the while.

Slipping on his Akatsuki cloak, Seijin turned around to find Deidara fiddling with his clay bombs.

"Remind me again of why I have to waste my chakra carrying that fat piece of trash around," Seijin deadpanned, sitting on the grassy bank by the wide, clear river while polishing his prized katana.

"I don't like him any more than you do, but he's our only chance of trapping the Nanabi and retrieving the scrolls before Haruno does," Deidara examined a freshly-made bomb. "He _claims_ to know the way through the caves, and frankly speaking, that's the only reason he's alive right now,"

"If he doesn't know the way, I am so gonna murder him," Seijin said viciously, slamming the tip of his katana into the ground forcefully.

Hyozan looked up in surprise and fear from a distance, and even though he couldn't hear their conversation, he quickly and nervously edged away, tripping over his own feet and splashing, head first, into the river.

Seijin groaned inwardly. Being seen in such company was ruining his image. He turned to Deidara, watching the 'master of arts' skillfully enhancing the destructive power of his bombs.

"Does Orochimaru suspect anything yet?" Deidara asked casually.

Seijin snorted. "That man is so freakin' obsessed with getting the Uchiha's body for his own, he wouldn't notice if I rode past him with a banner _announcing_ that I'm betraying him,"

"Seems like he's lost his touch from the old days," Deidara smirked. "There was a time when he could make a person feel like he could read their every thought when he was in the room. But then, betraying Akatsuki was never his best decision,"

"Is Itachi coming down to visit his _dear_ brother?" Seijin asked smugly, twisting his katana in an experimental slash.

"Who knows? The Uchiha reports to no one. Even in the Akatsuki, he's a class above the rest of us,"

Seijin stayed silent. His impatience showed in his constant twirling of his katana, unable to stay still. Finally, he spoke.

"What's that Haruno girl's name, anyway?"

"Sakura," Deidara replied coolly. Seijin stiffened.

"What does she look like?"

"Pink hair, green eyes… you can't miss her," Deidara said recklessly, throwing a bomb across the river. It exploded, burning down several trees. The Akatsuki member seemed satisfied. "Never got to see how she fights - I got attacked by Hatake and that Kyuubi boy when I was with Sasori… she killed him, though… must have something worthwhile in her,"

Seijin, however, did not hear past Deidara's first sentence. He swore loudly, making Hyozan, who was just crawling out of the river, shriek and fall right in again.

"_Shit!_ She's that girl I told you about… should've finished her off…" the samurai went into a rant.

"Idiot," Deidara said calmly. "Doubt you could've killed her, though… sounded to me like you were getting beaten up,"

"_Shut_ up," Seijin shot back.

Silence ensued.

"She's a good medic nin and has insane strength, right?" Deidara broke the silence thoughtfully.

Seijin nodded gloomily. A satisfied smile spread over Deidara's smooth features.

"Fighting her should be… interesting,"

N

_So, how was it? I finished that in one day, I really can't believe it! Yessss! _

_Personally, I like the Sasuke part. It felt so emotional… heh... _

_Well, I hoped you liked it, and please, please review! I hope there'll be a hundredth reviewer for this chapter!_

_Next chapter:_

_Chapter 8: Horaana Kake Jiku_

_八__- __卷洞_

_That's about it for this time, leave me a review! _

_Ciao!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	9. Chapter 8: Horaana Kake Jiku

_Hello!!!! New chapter up! Kudos to all my faithful reviewers!!!!_

_105 reviews!!!! I'm loving life right now… and, **4everDestinied**- what in the world happened to your review? I was waiting for it… never mind… I miss it! sob_

_As promised, this chapter is dedicated to **Waiting-for-HIM**… who went anonymous because you were too lazy to sign in… hehe… thanks for leaving your penname, anyway, and yes, you ARE the 100th reviewer! Yay!!!_

_Last chapter showed Sakura being hit, so what will this chapter bring?_

_Read on!_

N

Chapter 8- Horaana Kake Jiku

八-卷洞

'_Sakura… you've **got** to be okay!'_ Naruto thought frantically, sprinting ahead of everyone else, looking at nothing but the still, unmoving figure of his teammate on the ground, not far off. _'I'll- I'll **never** for give myself for using the Rasengan on you!'_

The hyperactive ninja skidded to a half on his knees, beside his unconscious teammate, wincing at the blood spattered everywhere- on the ground, on the rocky cliff- over her entire body!

Instinctively Naruto reached out to turn Sakura on her back, but Sai's sharp, commanding voice stopped him.

"Don't touch her!"

Naruto rounded on him furiously. "Just because you don't care about her-"

Sai stopped him mid-sentence, the faintest trace of emotion in his voice. His words, albeit spoken stoically, made an impact on Naruto. "I do care about her. A lot more than you know. But look," he motioned to Sakura's still body.

"What…" Tenten breathed as a soft, golden glow surrounded Sakura, and her wounds began to heal without leaving a trace.

"Is- is she healing herself?" Kiba asked in amazement.

"No, Sakura can't heal herself when she's unconscious…" Ino said, her pale face stricken.

"It's the Nanabi's chakra," a deep, nonchalant voice sounded from behind them. Gaara's dark-rimmed eyes studied the girl lying on the ground, his arms crossed. He felt no guilt- after all, he hadn't attacked her- but he felt a tinge of something he'd been feeling more and more lately- was it sympathy, or compassion? "It's like when I had the Shukaku inside me- as is the case with Naruto- our wounds will always be healed by the immense chakra inside us,"

"So… that means… Sakura-san…" Lee said haltingly, almost fearfully.

Naruto's lip trembled. Sakura- Sakura was going to become like him. Feared, isolated- all because of a demon inside. His fists clenched, he fought back the welling tears in his startling sky-blue eyes. He'd promised himself that he wouldn't let anyone else go through what he had been through, and again, he had failed that promise.

But then Sakura began to stir, groaning.

"Ugh…" her hands twitched, looking for support on the ground. Regaining their senses, Naruto and Tenten gently pulled her into a sitting position.

Through blurred eyes, Sakura saw her team surrounding her, looking concerned and fearful at the same time. She faintly remembered the impact of her friends' unintentional blows.

'_How in the world did I survive **that**?'_ she wondered vaguely, her thoughts still blurred.

'_You had my protection,'_ the Nanabi's voice said soothingly.

Sakura started. _'You're- you're-'_

'_Inside you, yes. Look at your left arm,'_

The cherry blossom looked. Running down the side of her left arm was a series of golden markings, a pattern that she did not recognize.

Quietly, Sakura lifted her arm and fingered the marks, looking up at her silent team.

"Sakura?" Neji asked with narrowed eyes, not quite believing what had just happened.

"I am the Nanabi's jinchuuriki," Sakura repeated softly to herself, trying to believe it. "_Me_…?"

Silence met her words. No one knew how to react. Tenten, Hinata and Ino knelt beside the pink-haired kunoichi, comfortingly.

"Does- does this- _change_- anything between us?" Sakura asked hesitatingly, afraid to look up, to see the truth in their faces.

Tenten held Sakura firmly by the shoulders. "Look at me," she commanded. Slowly, Sakura lifted her emerald eyes to meet Tenten's chocolate ones. "This does _not_ change anything between us, got it?"

"Yeah, forehead-girl! Don't be stupid!" Ino hugged her childhood rival in relief, laughing and crying at the same time. Hinata took Sakura's hands and held them tightly, quietly reassuring her.

Sakura looked up thankfully, sharing an embrace with her three close friends, feeling their unconditional warmth and concern for her. A mutual understanding of how much she appreciated them for being there for her went unspoken, but deeply felt by all who knew the connection between the four kunoichis.

N

"Hey, keep _quiet_!" Kakashi hissed sharply at Pakkun. The ninja dog hadn't stopped talking since they started at dawn, and the Copy nin had had enough. "Do you have any idea how many people out there could've heard your _freakin'_ loud voice already?"

Pakkun huffed indignantly. "Well, I need some sense of security, you know!"

"Closing in on target," Kakashi ignored his companion, staring through the leaves of the bushes as he moved quickly and silently. Even Pakkun knew better than to irritate the Jounin at a time like this.

Several shadowy figures strode through the thinning forest, almost hurriedly, moving northwards. Kakashi swiftly briefed Pakkun on his duty.

"We part here. You get into the hideout, gather all the information you can and get back to Konoha. Report everything to the Fifth. I'll follow them alone,"

Pakkun nodded slowly. "Roger," The small ninja turned, tracing the scent of their target towards the hideout. Kakashi was just about to leave when Pakkun called him.

"Eh, Kaka-bastard…"

"What?"

"He's dangerous,"

"I know,"

"Good luck,"

"Yeah,"

"Kakashi… come back, 'kay? I haven't finished annoying you yet," Pakkun said quietly, somewhat apologetically.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask.

"Sure thing,"

N

Scaling the steep path up the rocky cliffs was no easy feat. Occasionally, there was no path, and the ten Konoha shinobis with the Kazekage leading them had to resort to plain climbing the cliffs.

Shikamaru frowned as he climbed, hand over hand. His stamina was pretty good, tiring out was simply not his thing, but the real problem he was worrying about was the fact that they were on a cliff, in plain sight, and open prey to anyone who felt like attacking. And Shikamaru did not like being vulnerable.

"Shikamaru… I've lost track of Seijin and Hyozan… I think they must've managed to wash the scent off,: Kiba panted to the Nara genius behind him, pulling himself up yet another huge boulder.

"Don't have time to worry about that now," Shikamaru pulled a complaining Ino up behind him. "Mendokusai…" he muttered under his breath to Ino before turning back to Kiba. "We need- WATCH OUT!"

Kiba looked up, horrorstruck as the smaller rock he had gripped just moments before was loosening- and bringing the larger boulder on top crashing down with it.

Shikamaru, Ino, Hinata and Sai felt their hearts sinking to their guts. There was nowhere to go, they would never be able to move to avoid the boulder in time.

Sai contemplated using one of his inked animals to shield them when a whirl of sand materialized beside Kiba, revealing a calm, collected Gaara. Bracing himself with one hand and his feet against the rocks, the Kazekage manipulated a dome of sand to surround the five shinobis and himself.

Seconds later, they heard the boulder crashing down the roof of the sand dome, and rolling downhill noisily before making a great splash in the lake below. The shinobis unconsciously heaved sighs of relief.

"Move quickly, Sakura's already at the top," Gaara's ever-stoic voice urged them upwards.

Nodding their silent thanks, they continued the tiring climb to the cave, somewhere above them.

N

With her level of strength, it wasn't hard to scale the cliffs ahead of everyone else.

The cherry blossom sat with her legs dangling perilously over the edge of the cliff, trying to sort out her jumbled mind. Too much had happened ever since this mission began, and she had the uncanny feeling that much more was about to happen. She would never be safe until they got back to Konoha. And she wasn't sure if she could handle it anymore.

Sakura groaned, burying her face in her arms, wrapped her around her knees. Her bijuu had been, so far, quiet.

'_Why choose me?'_

Now, the Nanabi spoke.

'_Remember that story, 'Pandora's Box'?'_

'_I heard it from my grandfather before,'_

'_Our story… the tailed demons' story… is similar,'_

Sakura was silent.

'_Your great-grandfather was the one who freed us from our prison in the depths of that lake during the wars, by accident. While my brothers escaped, I stayed behind, giving him a scroll to reseal all the Bijuu as a punishment,'_

'_And then?'_ Sakura was curious.

'_He was terrified. I told him I'd be watching him, and he returned home, still holding the scroll. Years later, as I was still watching my brothers destroy as each village tried to harness their powers, your grandfather returned. He had been shot by a poisoned arrow and was on the brink of death, he held two scrolls in his hands. One was the Bijuu-sealing scroll, and the other belonged to your clan. It would seem that he was being pursued,'_

'_Chichioya was never a ninja… so I guess ojisan couldn't pass them down to him… and_ _maybe he felt I was too young…'_ Sakura said softly.

'_Yes… he mentioned that much before the monks from the cave found him and brought him up to their temple. I had to stay hidden, but I heard your grandfather's last words- **"Wait for my granddaughter… she's the last…"**- so I had to wait another ten years for you,'_

'_So I'm here to repay a family debt,'_ Sakura looked sorry.

'_No, not a family debt. You're simply here to put things right again,'_

N

Sakura was lost in thought-conversation with the Nanabi when Gaara materialized beside her, alone. His usual, emotionless mask and his crossed arms betrayed nothing.

"Sakura,"

"Nani?" She jerked back into reality, looking up at the Kazekage. "You were having a conversation with the Nanabi?" he asked, sitting down. His dark-rimmed eyes stared out into the distant sky.

"How did you know?" Sakura asked in surprise, looking at him.

"I've been through it before, if you remember," Gaara said simply, a hint of sarcasm in his words.

"Mm…" she replied softly, smiling inwardly. The Kazekage might not know it, but he was definitely improving.

"Are you sure you can do it?" he asked quietly.

"Doesn't look like I have a choice," Sakura said dryly. Gaara noted the tinge of bitterness in her voice.

"You do," the young Kazekage said emotionlessly. "The Bijuu was forced into most of us, but the Nanabi gave you a choice,"

"But-" Sakura protested. _'That's no choice at all…'_

"Listen, Sakura," Gaara turned suddenly to face her. "It doesn't matter what the choices were. Whichever you chose, the most important thing is that you have to be able to live with yourself. That's my advice,"

The cherry blossom was silent, thinking.

Gaara watched her intently, until a smile broke out on the kunoichi's face. "I understand now, Gaara-sama… thanks,"

A faint smile crossed his lips, then disappeared.

"Anytime,"

N

"Here, take my hand," Sakura offered, pulling both Neji and Tenten up onto the flat ground with slight effort.

Seven others followed, slumping onto the ground in exhaustion.

"Sometimes, forehead… I wish I had your super strength…" Ino panted, brushing the dust off her clothes.

"It isn't easy to control, you know," Sakura retorted, standing up and observing the front of the temple for the first time.

"So… this is it…" Sakura looked up at the structure of the temple entrance, built into the solid rock. "Horaana Kake Jiku…"

No one said anything, taking in every detail of the majestic temple entrance, from the intricate carvings with gold-gilded lotus flowers and leaves, to the towering red pillars holding the structure up, and the shiny, dark green roof tiles.

Suddenly, the large wooden doors before them creaked open, ever so slightly. The only interior of the temple that they could see was darkness. The shinobis glanced at each other uneasily. Something was wrong…

"We have visitors!" A shrill voice could be heard calling from inside, scurrying footsteps echoing through the air.

And then, out of the narrow opening of the doors, a stately figure clothed in the traditional, pale yellowish-orange robes, strode out. He was old, but clean shaven, and had six dots imprinted on the crown of his head.

His hurried expression relaxed into a pleasant smile as he saw who was among his visitors. A smile, but with something more in it. Sakura felt her guts squirming, and glanced towards Tenten. The brown-haired kunoichi's eyes said the same thing.

"Aah, it's the Kazekage," the old man said quietly, still smiling.

Without warning, he lashed out with a spinning kick aimed at Gaara's head, from the left. Immediately Sai and Neji moved to intervene, but did not manage to block him.

The Kazekage did not flinch. A solid sand wall blocked the kick.

The old man smiled, much to everyone's stunned surprise. Smiling after you'd just attacked this particular Kazekage was _definitely_ not the normal response.

"So, it is you after all, Gaara-sama…what brings you here risking your neck to climb that treacherous cliff?" he asked with a sly smile, as if he already knew their purpose.

"Takashi-sama, we're here for the scrolls," Gaara spoke directly to the point. His expression did not betray much, but his dark-rimmed eyes narrowed slightly.

The head monk, or Takashi, said nothing. He studied the group of shinobis behind Gaara sharply, finally spotting Sakura- or perhaps, it was the golden markings on her arm that had caught his attention.

"You, girl! Come over here!" Takashi pointed at her, motioning her over with an air of arrogance around him. Sakura felt a wave of indignation rise within her, but wisely kept quiet. Her inner self screamed into her mind.

'_Baka…idiotic monk… ordering me around like a servant…'_

Sakura did not budge. For once, she agreed with that annoying voice at the back of her head. Her intuition, as well, had begun tingling. She did not like this man- at all.

Gaara seemed to read her thoughts. "She is a guest of Suna, Takashi, it would do well for you to show some respect to her,"

The monk looked at Gaara strangely, as if with contempt. Gaara kept his glare steady. Reluctantly, he turned back to Sakura.

"Please," he added in a grudging undertone.

Sakura glanced at him uneasily. Reluctantly, she relented, walking slowly towards Takashi. Behind her, Naruto was struggling within Neji and Kiba's grip, trying to stop her.

"Sakura-chan! Don't! He might be some-"

Kiba's hand clamped over Naruto's mouth, knowing full well that the hyperactive ninja was going to say 'perverted old monk' and ruin their entire mission.

"Shut up, baka! Sakura knows how to take care of herself!" the animal specialist hissed at Naruto, who was still struggling frantically. He bit Kiba's hand, breaking free as the animal specialist released him, exclaiming from the pain.

"HEY!"

"I couldn't _breathe,_ you idiot!" Naruto wheezed, inhaling sharply.

Sakura, oblivious to the commotion behind her, walked towards the monk, her head held high as her glare at Takashi never wavered. The old man grabbed her arm roughly with one hand, grasped her shoulder with the other, and pulled her closer to him.

The pink-haired kunoichi winced with discomfort as Takashi traced the Nanabi's mark with his fingers.

"The Nanabi's seal…" he whispered harshly, gripping her arm with brute force.

"Get your hands _off_ me," Sakura hissed, wrenching her arm forcefully out of Takashi's steel grip.

Ino felt like cheering for her childhood rival. _'Yeah, you show him what you've got, girl!'_

Takashi stared at her with that same look of contempt he'd given Gaara just moments ago. Sakura met his stare without flinching. He seemed to regain himself, looking around at the group of shinobis before glancing back at Sakura with an inexplicable expression.

"Very well then. Follow me in,"

N

_Heh… how was that? The last part was kinda… uh… cheesy. Was the starting good?_

_On the whole, my favourite section was the Kaka-Pakkun exchange… so cute… and also the GaaraSaku part. I must say, I love this chapter._

_Also, there was a new character, Takashi-sama, the head monk. Surprises in store! He sounds nasty, doesn't he?_

_I'm lazy to read through and find words that you guys might not understand now… so will you please ask me if there's anything you don't understand? I always personally reply the reviews, unless you're reviewing anonymous. Just leave me a penname if you are…_

_Anyway… the next chapter is:_

_Chapter 9- Konoha v/s Akatsuki_

_(Sorry, I couldn't translate that into Chinese characters…)_

_Until next time!_

_Ciao!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	10. Chapter 9: Konoha VS Akatsuki

_New chapter up! Again, thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I love you guys!_

_Enjoy! _

_A/N- there's no Chinese title for this chapter- I have no idea of how to translate the names. At all. Anyone who knows is welcome to tell me._

_Thanks, and read on!_

N

Chapter 9- Konoha VS Akatsuki

The interior of the temple was lit mainly by fire torches along the walls. Little natural light was seen, save for the visible air well some distance before them. Even so, the cave felt airy and cool, and had a calming effect on those inside it. For the shinobis, however, it was an exception. Their senses were tingling, heightening their awareness of their surroundings.

Young, lower class monks stood on either side of them, their heads bowed with their hands held before them, in the customary palms together gesture. The shinobis could feel, however, the sharp, discreet gazes of the monks on them as they proceeded, following Takashi.

Sakura eyed the monks warily. She was certain that they weren't there for welcoming purposes.

'_There's something going on in here…'_ she thought uneasily. Her emerald eyes caught Tenten's brown ones, indicating Takashi signaling in the air.

Before any of them had enough time to register the gesture, a flurry of orange-yellow robes descended on them, weapons drawn, poised to kill.

It was soon Takashi's turn to be surprised. At the very moment the monks' knives met the shinobis, all shinobis disappeared into smoke, logs taking the place of humans.

"What…?" Takashi said slowly, hardly believing what he'd just seen. Kawarimi, the replacement technique? Then, harmless Sakura petals were falling thickly in a blizzard around them. Stunned and mesmerized at the same time, the monks stared at the beautiful scene, weapons hanging limply at their sides.

And then, without any warning, shurikens replaced the cherry blossoms, cutting through their flesh by the dozen, involuntarily crying out in pain.

Eleven shinobis leapt down in the midst of all the confusion, tackling three monks each. In no time, only Takashi was left standing, staring.

"Hello again, Takashi… or should I say… _Seijin_?" Sakura said calmly, knocking out the 'monk' she was sitting on with a swift punch to the head. She stood, facing him squarely.

The rest of her teammates were staring icily at the lone figure facing them, looking none to assuring.

"Well… I'm busted," Takashi, or Seijin, laughed hollowly, transforming back into his original form. His eyes glinted at them. "How?"

"For several idiotic reasons," Gaara spoke calmly. "One- you staged Takashi pretty well, you even managed to find out that he customarily attacked me as a code between us to prevent fraud, but you missed out on a major detail. Takashi-sama is left-handed. He always came at me from my left, while you attacked from my right,"

"Second dead giveaway-" Shikamaru started, his arms crossed and his expression stoic. "Lower class monks always follow their head monk out as a mark of respect, and to protect their leader. You were afraid we'd recognize those Sound nins of yours in broad daylight, so you kept them inside,"

"Third, your hands," Sakura said coolly. "No monk would actually bother with keeping his hands as smooth as yours. After you gave yourself away like that, all we had to do was create replicas of ourselves and hide,"

"Pretty sharp, aren't you?" Seijin drawled. "Since I couldn't finish you off last time, I might as well do it now," His muscled arm reached down to draw his katana- and groped at thin air.

"Looking for this?" Tenten's voice rang out behind him. The weapons mistress was coolly twirling his katana in her right hand, her chocolate eyes emotionless. "Took it while you were busy fawning over my best friend… monks don't usually carry swords around, do they?"

This time, Seijin looked totally flustered. At least, his face looked flustered. There was something unusual about his chakra, Neji and Sakura noted, looking at each other uneasily. His chakra was getting stronger instead of going haywire, which meant-

"Those chakra wings," Ino whispered, watching the great, shimmering chakra wings unfold from Seijin's back.

"Lucky people, you know?" Seijin smirked broadly. "Most people only get to see them once… before I finish them off,"

"Cut the small talk and tell us what you want," Naruto snarled loudly, fists clenched.

"I think you probably already know… or has your little friend over there not told you the truth yet?" Seijin sneered, looking at Sakura.

The kunoichi seethed with pure anger, shaking.

"What I do is none of your business,"

"It's very much my business, Haruno. After all, my task is to prevent Konoha from getting the scrolls… but it looks like your little friends are clueless… shall I fill them in on what you… _neglected_ to tell them?"

Everyone turned to look at Sakura in surprise, save for Tenten and Neji.

"I believe," the weapons mistress began slowly. "That if Sakura chooses not to tell us something, she does it for a good reason. So shut- the hell- _up_,"

Five shurikens went flying towards Seijin, but were deflected by a gust of wind from Seijin's wings. Tenten leapt out of the way, her expression set, poised for another attack.

"Are you guys going to help take this idiot down, or are you just gonna stand there gaping at your own _teammate_?" Tenten yelled at the unmoving shinobis.

Snapping back into reality, the other ten shinobis fell into their stances, prepared to fight.

Sakura stood beside Tenten, glancing sideways at her gratefully.

"You're a _lifesaver_," Sakura said quietly, fists clenched and ready to strike.

"Anytime, Sakura… that's what friends are for," Tenten replied, pulling out her scrolls. "But- I think it's time you told them. I'm not underestimating you, Sakura… but they need to know- soon,"

"Yeah," Sakura said softly, looking at the ground. "Soon,"

N

"Got busted _already_, Seijin?"

A voice was suddenly heard from behind them. Naruto tensed. He- knew that voice.

"Deidara…" he hissed under his breath, never averting his eyes from Seijin. Hinata, never having met the explosives master before, looked at the jinchuuriki in surprise, sneaking a glance at the man behind them.

Sakura shot Naruto a quick look that said _'Don't blow it now,'_

Deidara walked up calmly, studying the group with an unreadable expression.

"Hello, Uzumaki, Haruno… wow, even the _Kazekage_ is here…"

Stony silence met his sarcasm. "I leave for ten minutes to tie up that Takashi idiot and you get yourself into this bloody mess," Deidara looked at Seijin sideways. "Even fooling people is an art of precision, you know,"

Seijin grudgingly acknowledged Deidara's words.

"Just get over here and help already,"

"With pleasure,"

The explosives master leapt over swiftly and easily, his mane of hair brushing past his face. Several explosives could be seen in his hand, Deidara flung them at the shinobis without second thought.

'_Crazy fellow!'_ Naruto thought viciously, leaping away to avoid the explosion. _'He's gonna bring the entire cave down and bury us!'_

"He's standing below the air well," Kiba hissed loudly, beside Akamaru. 'If the cave collapses, it'll only crush us, not him!'

"Everyone! Get out of the way _NOW_!" Shikamaru hollered, dragging Ino and Hinata behind him. He had spotted what the others had not- Deidara's smaller explosives were just decoys- the _real_ bomb was hitting the ceiling above them!

Gaara's sand dome materialized around them, at the very moment the entire cave was rocked by a massive explosion. They could almost feel the solid rocks smashing against their sandy armour of protection, and the ground shaking violently beneath their feet.

Then silence.

Everyone looked around dazedly, trying to grasp what had just happened.

"Damn that Deidara…"Shikamaru cursed, the memory of Konoha's Fire Temple, destroyed by Akatsuki, resurfacing in his mind. "Damned Akatsuki!"

"I think we have other things to worry about, Shikamaru," the Kazekage spoke quietly, looking around.

Ino suddenly clutched Shikamaru's arm tightly, startling him.

"Ino, what in the world-"

"Shika- where's- where's Sai-"

"Kiba-" Lee said slowly.

"Naruto-kun-" Hinata fumbled.

"And Sakura?" Tenten finished in a whisper.

The seven shinobis left looked at each other in horror.

"Oh no,"

N

Slowly, Sai and Kiba opened their eyes, the latter with his arms wrapped around Akamaru, protecting it. They had expected to feel the rocks crushing them after the avalanche, but they felt nothing.

"What in the world…?" Kiba said harshly, hugging Akamaru tightly. Hues of red and gold chakra were enveloping them, protecting them from the crushing rocks just above.

"Heh… finally got enough courage to open your eyes, guys?" the pink-haired cherry blossom was half-grinning, half-grimacing at them, speaking with considerable effort.

Both Naruto and Sakura were standing on either side of them, feet apart and using the chakra-release handseals, looking strained and soaked with sweat.

"I need- to get us- out," Sakura's voice trembled as she spoke. "Naruto- can you hold this up?"

The jinchuuriki shook his head. "Too dangerous… I'm already using the Kyuubi's chakra, if I release any more, I won't be able to control it," he told her through clenched teeth.

"We'll do it," Sai and Kiba volunteered, standing up and bracing themselves, releasing their chakra.

"Hurry up, Sakura-chan… they can't hold it up for long…"

"Just lower this a bit so I can get us out in one punch," Sakura withdrew her chakra, and immediately the rocks came down by a few inches.

Sakura's fist shot upwards, crumbling everything in its path.

N

The moment Gaara's sand some fell to dust, they could hear Deidara's voice.

"Looks like Uzumaki and Haruno got crushed,"

Tenten's fists clenched. "The moment I get to tackle that guy, he's gonna be dead, dead and _dead_,"

"I hope you're right," Ino quipped, but right now we've got to find them,"

"You guys take care of that," Neji instructed. "Lee, Gaara-sama, Tenten and I will deal with them,"

Shikamaru, Ino and Hinata nodded, turning.

Neji turned to his team. "Deidara's a long-range fighter, so Tenten can handle him. Gaara-sama, can you cover her?"

Gaara nodded curtly.

"Lee, we'll tackle Seijin," Neji turned to Konoha's Green Beast.

"Roger!" Lee saluted with a grin.

"All right! Move!" Neji called.

All four shinobis shot off.

N

"Heh, you think my only weapon is the katana?" Seijin smirked as Neji called to Tenten to throw the katana over, catching it deftly.

Neji knew that they were in trouble once he saw the chakra blade forming in Seijin's hands.

'_Oh great. He can use Chakra Enjintou,'_ the Hyuuga prodigy groaned inwardly, flinging ten shurikens at the ninja, all which were easily deflected.

"You know, I wonder why you people ever bother to stay in Konoha," Seijin flipped his dirty blonde hair out of his face. "That place… seriously, it's one of the lousiest-"

"Lee! NO!" Neji wasn't listening. Lee was charging full speed at Seijin, anger etched upon his face.

"Nobody insults Konoha!" thick brows twitched as Lee prepared to deliver some of his most powerful Taijutsu- only to feel a ripping sensation tearing through his body, then unbearable pain. He was sent flying by a punch from Seijin, his right art rendered completely useless.

"Why d'you have to be such an _idiot,_ Lee?" Neji said through clenched teeth, charging at Seijin with his katana.

As the two blades met and forcefully held their own, Neji channeled chakra through the Katana, using Seijin's chakra blade as a medium to affect Seijin's body.

But all the effect it had on the samurai was to jolt him slightly.

"You're wasting your time," Seijin told the astonished Hyuuga. "My chakra is too powerful for you to repel,"

"We'll see about that," Neji growled.

N

Tenten snarled as another of Deidara's clay explosives easily deflected her attacks. Gaara used his shield of sand to cover them from the weapons, but they were making no visible progress.

"Gaara-sama," Tenten panted. "Soushoryuu is my only chance, any more advanced jutsus on my part will bring the cave down. You know what to do,"

The young Kazekage nodded, understanding his part.

The weapons mistress smiled, pulling out her summoning scrolls and placing them upon the ground, quickly forming her handseals.

'_Let's just see how you deflect all my attacks for this one,'_

"Soushoryuu!"

N

"Ino, you take left, Hinata, take right, and I'll do front." Shikamaru commanded the two girls. "C'mon, let's move!"

"Shikamaru-san…" Hinata said quietly. Ino and the Jounin looked at her questioningly. "I think… there's no need for that,"

Both had no time to react to her words.

Behind them, a loud blast rocked the cave, and small fragments of rocks rained down upon them. Shikamaru and Ino turned around slowly.

Four figures leapt out from the clouds of dust, looking none to happy.

A certain pink-haired kunoichi adjusted her gloves.

"So," she began. "What did we miss?"

N

_Haha! Cliffhanger! If that was one…_

_I've got nothing much to say, except that the next chapter is going to be really exciting._

_Review!_

_Next chapter:_

_Chapter 10- Dance of the Four Seasons_

_十__- __四季舞_

_Until next time!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	11. Chapter 10: Dance of The Four Seasons

_Thank you for all the reviews! I updated real soon, so please don't kill me! Anyway, this chapter is one of my favourites, I hope you guys will like it as well…_

_This chapter brings in something new… I created a few jutsus of my own! _

_And, for my readers who weren't satisfied with the guys taking the spotlight every time… well, you should like this chapter._

_Enjoy!_

N

Chapter 10- Dance of the Four Seasons

十- 四季舞

Neji and Seijin both held their ground, chakra blade and katana pressing firmly against each other. The Hyuuga prodigy channeled his chakra to his hands and withheld it, finally releasing it in a single, powerful blast into Seijin's body, jolting the samurai considerably.

But Neji could no longer hold the katana, he had lost too much chakra for that attack on Seijin. In an instant, Seijin had overpowered Neji's katana defense, and when the blades slipped, Seijin's chakra blade drove right across Neji's shoulders, missing his heart by millimeters.

The Hyuuga crashed onto the ground. Hard.

Sakura was already sprinting towards Neji and Lee at full speed, terrified for the fate of her friends.

"Hinata! Use Chakra Enjintou! That's the only thing that's going to work against him!" Sakura hollered to her friends. "You guys have to help her, but don't get near that blade!"

Skidding to a halt on her knees, Sakura took care of Neji first. There were more major arteries and the delicate heart muscles at the shoulders, near the heart. His face was contorted in pain as he raised a hand to tentatively touch his bleeding wound, which was slapped away by Sakura.

"Don't move, you idiot, unless you want to be paralyzed for life,"

Neji opened his mouth to say something indignantly, but decided against it. Sakura's hands glowed with chakra as she dispelled it towards Neji's wounds, hoping that he really wasn't going to be paralyzed for life.

'_Sakura… use my chakra… he'll heal faster…'_ the Nanabi's voice sounded in her head, and suddenly, her chakra flow became stronger and steadier. Within minutes, Neji was healed.

He sat up gingerly, Sakura's worried face confronting him.

"I'm fine," he told her. "Thanks. Lee…"

Snapping back into reality, she turned to the patiently waiting boy to her left.

The Taijutsu specialist had had enough sense to sit still, preventing excess lost of blood. Sakura smiled slightly and quickly healed his arm.

"Okay?"

"Hai!" Lee saluted.

Sakura stood up with a smile, but halted. "Don't you find it strange… remember that Hyozan guy?"

Lee and Neji nodded. "Don't see him around…"

"They probably got annoyed and disposed of him," Neji said simply, his Byakugan scanning the cave. "He's not here… I wouldn't blame them for dumping him, either… cowardly ego-maniac…"

N

Hinata was trembling as she activated her Byakugan and chakra blade simultaneously. What if something went wrong? What if she totally screwed up and got her friends into trouble?

"Hinata-chan! You can do it!" Naruto hollered as he, Kiba, Ino and Shikamaru surrounded Seijin. They barely noticed that Sai had gone missing from their midst, everyone was focused on Hinata and Seijin.

"Oh, c'mon. Stop wasting my time," Seijin drawled, attacking Hinata. He was obviously of the opinion that Hinata was an easy pushover, and that was where he was wrong. She blocked, and a flurry of weapons from her teammates went flying at Seijin, all effectively blocked by his chakra wings.

"Damn those wings," Ino hissed under her breath as she dodged the kunai that came flying back at her.

Hinata took the chance while Seijin was busy blocking the weapons to hit two tenketsu points, before quickly dodging from his reach. _'Being smaller in size does have its advantages,' _she thought grimly as Seijin's taller frame failed to catch her.

She had learnt, from watching Neji battling Seijin, that if she didn't act fast, Seijin's chakra would simply overpower the effects of her Jyuken.

Hinata leapt back a few paces and attacked again, using her chakra blade as a shield rather than a weapon, and hit another four vital points. Seijin could still move, but was considerably slower. His hand, wielding the blade, was being brought down full speed at her. There wouldn't be enough time to dodge-

"ARGH!"

A kunai, courtesy to a weapons mistress who had turned away from Deidara for a split second, found its mark, embedded in Seijin's blade hand.

"Arigatou, Tenten!" Hinata found the time to call out to Tenten while hitting another eight points.

"You're welcome!" Tenten hollered back while using her chakra strings to pull the kunai from Seijin's hand and attacking Deidara with fresh fervour.

Hinata focused on her target.

Sixteen points.

Thirty-two points.

"Sixty-Four points!"

The Hyuuga heir skidded backwards, panting, but looking triumphant.

Seijin could move, but his chakra blade had dissolved. His movements were disoriented, and Ino fought the urge to laugh as he lumbered around clumsily, flinging his arms.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto whooped, dancing around the blushing girl.

N

"Regroup!" Neji yelled as soon as he saw that Hinata had completed the Sixty-Four Hands of Hakke on Seijin.

His teammates sprang back into position behind him, breathing heavily from the effort taken to face two top rank missing nins.

"They're dangerous," he turned to the girls. "Stay back,"

"Not a chance, Hyuuga Neji," Tenten grinned, looking at Sakura, Ino and Hinata. "We kunoichi aren't as weak as you think,"

Sakura stepped forward, a small smile on her face.

"This time, girls take centre stage,"

N

"Ready?" Ino hollered. The four kunoichis formed a close knit circle, quickly completing a complicated combination of handseals before moving swiftly into position surrounding Deidara and Seijin with set expressions on their faces.

'_They're… fast!'_ Lee thought in amazement, hearing audible gasps from all the boys. Since when had the girls been able to match them in speed?

"Konoha: Shiki no Dansu!" (1) Sakura, Ino, Tenten and Hinata yelled simultaneously, all four poised with feet apart and handseals ready. An inexplicable gust of wind rose, swirling around them wildly as each kunoichi held her ground.

Sakura's feet shifted, her emerald eyes flashing dangerously.

Naruto recognized her first handseal._ 'Kage Bunshin…? She can do Kage Bunshin?'_

Deidara and Seijin looked around nonchalantly, even mockingly, at the four girls. C'mon… what could a bunch of _girls_ do?

Right?

Sakura nodded slightly, signaling to her friends and leapt lightly into the air, her handseals too fast to follow.

"Haru Dansu: Arashi Shuriken!" (2) the pink-haired kunoichi let out a yell, Her kage bunshins appeared in midair, simultaneously pulling out two closed fans and holding them in a cross formation. The moment the fans flipped open, a storm of shurikens, every single one of the swift and deadly, rained down upon the two Akatsuki members.

There was no way to dodge, nowhere to run. Sakura's kage bunshins disappeared, and she landed in a crouch, motioning to Ino.

The blond swiftly took over.

"Natsu Dansu: Saseru Cho!" (#)

'_Genjutsu…'_ Shikamaru thought in amazement. _'Heh… I would never have thought that Ino would be good in genjutsu…' _

She proved him wrong.

A swirl of black and white butterflies materialized above Deidara and Seijin, who were still occupied by flying shurikens, courtesy to genjutsu on Sakura's part, as well. Thousands upon millions of the tiny insects, with one wing black and another wing white, were slowly beginning to swirl like a tornado, gradually picking up speed, but maintained a steady pace after several moments.

"That isn't fast enough…" Sai's quiet voice came from behind them. The boys jumped. They hadn't even noticed that Sai had gone missing ever since they had started fighting Deidara and Seijin.

Takashi-sama, the _real_ Takashi-sama, stood behind Sai, a small group of monks following. Takashi chuckled lightly, watching the battle. "Those," he motioned to the girls. "Will make excellent kunoichi someday,"

"They already _are_ excellent kunoichi," Gaara gave him a sidelong glace. "So, Sai found you?"

"Yes," Takashi's one-word reply was followed by another chuckle.

"Baka… hogging all the limelight again… just like Sasuke-teme…" Naruto muttered audibly. Sai looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

His only reply was a simple shrug, which left Naruto fuming.

N

Neji saw Tenten move a fraction from the corner of his eye, subconsciously smirking. Tenten was always protesting that Neji didn't give girls enough credit in sparring or in missions, so this would be her chance to prove herself to him. _'What will you show us?'_

No one could see what was happening to Deidara and Seijin within the swirl of butterflies, but they were soon distracted by Tenten's movements.

'_Soushoryuu… are you sure?'_ Neji thought as he saw the two scrolls on the ground beside Tenten. His Byakugan narrowed. _'Wait- there's a variation in that handseal…'_

"Aki Dansu: Soushoryuu Kogeki Desu!" (4)

Tenten's misty white twin dragons rose out of the scrolls, bringing her with them, high up into the air. But, instead of twisting and sending a whirl of projectiles out, the twin dragons stopped in midair.

Neji could feel the suspense in the air. What was the weapons mistress attempting? Or had something gone wrong?

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the dragons suddenly began a steep, inclining dive towards Deidara and Seijin at full speed.

The weapons mistress did a backflip in the air and landed, her hands twisting nearly invisible chakra strings, controlling the movements of the dragons.

'_Chakra strings…'_ Neji thought. _'She's using them to control the dragons instead of her weapons…'_

When Ino's genjutsu dispelled, the guys caught the dragons barreling downwards before pulling up steeply once again, now rising in a spinning circle around Deidara and Seijin while Tenten's numerous weapons went flying within the misty prison.

"Those bastards _can't_ have survived that," Kiba said incredulously, watching the swirling dragons spin faster with each passing moment, closing in on the victims within.

Apparently, for the girls, it didn't hurt to make sure. Hinata shifted slightly as Tenten signalled from the air, before landing smoothly and jerking her chakra strings back.

"Fuyu Dansu: Kaiten-Jyuken Ketsugo!" (5) Hinata yelled.

This time, Neji nearly yelped. _'Kaiten-Jyuken combination? She **can't** be serious,_'

She was. Neji had no idea that Hinata had mastered Kaiten, let alone combined it with Jyuken in some crazy jutsu that would be depleting all her chakra. He wasn't even sure that she had enough stamina for such an advanced jutsu, judging by her usual performance.

The normally shy Hyuuga was now in the Kaiten stance, waiting for her cue. The moment Tenten's twin dragons disappeared, she moved.

Hinata's version of the Kaiten wasn't the normal move. Instead of spinning along with the sphere of chakra surrounding her, Hinata was standing still. Only the semi-transparent chakra sphere was spinning, serving its purpose as a Hyuuga's ultimate defense.

What startled Neji was the fact that when Hinata moved, the chakra sphere moved with her, making her able to attack and defend at the same time. Neji vaguely wondered how much chakra it took to keep the entire jutsu lasting long enough for an attack as well.

Naruto looked like he was going to burst any moment, watching the battle with bottled up fervour.

Hinata was speeding towards Deidara and Seijin, hands poised for Jyuken. Both the Akatsuki members were bruised, bloody and muddled, but still very much alive- and very much pissed that four _girls_ had gotten the better of them.

"How's she going to attack at close range? There's two of 'em!" Kiba said fervently, accompanied by a yelping Akamaru, both extremely concerned for their teammate.

Neji watched his cousin step between the very surprised duo, his eyes widening as he saw her hand movements. Usually, when Jyuken was used, it utilized both hands to hit the chakra points on one person. But now-

'_No… way…'_

"Two points!" the Hyuuga heir hit both men simultaneously, two tenketsu points each.

'_Two people… at the same time?' _Neji thought disbelievingly.

"Four points!" Seijin doubled over.

"Eight points!" Deidara cursed loudly, albeit being unable to move very well. His left hand slowly reached into his cloak for a another explosive, but-

"Sixteen points!" Hinata discreetly glared at him as she hit each point swiftly, secretly wondering how she'd gathered so much courage as to glare at an Akatsuki member.

"_Shit_," Deidara snarled, totally immobilized.

'_She's moving so fast! And using the 64 Hands of Hakke on two people at once…'_ Neji contemplated the impossibility of it.

"Thirty-two points!"

By this time, Hinata's hands were moving so fast they were a blur. The shy girl looked grimly determined.

"Sixty-Four points!"

Hitting the last point forcefully, Hinata stumbled backward, exhausted. She was caught by Sakura and Tenten, while Deidara and Seijin went crashing into a cave wall.

Dust billowed as several rocks fell, blocking their view.

Silence.

Then Ino spoke tentatively.

"Are they done for?"

N

"No, apparently not," Sakura said grimly as two figures rose shakily from the dust. "Get back, everyone. I guess we'll have to complete this,"

Deidara and Seijin were stumbling through the clouds of dust, Seijin looking more steady.

"Next time, we should just use the 128 Hands of Hakke on him," Neji said distastefully. "Save us a bit more trouble,"

"That guy and his chakra…" Naruto said grudgingly.

"Hinata, are you sure you can do this?" Sakura asked worriedly. It was obvious that Hinata was tired out, probably low on chakra as well. "Because if you can't-"

"I have to make the final hit," Hinata said quietly, stumbling slightly over her words. "I'll do it,"

"Well?" Tenten questioned Sakura.

"If you're sure about this…" Sakura sighed to Hinata, taking her place. The four kunoichis faced the Akatsuki members in line.

"Shiki Dansu!" (6)

All four shot off in different directions. Tenten to the left, Ino to the right, Sakura and Hinata sprinting up front.

Deidara and Seijin had no idea of what was happening when the cherry blossom sprinted towards them, easily lifting both men off the ground and throwing two swift punches, sending them flying up into the air forcefully.

Tenten and Ino leapt upwards, completing perfect roundhouse kicks in mid-air and smashing the two men down to where Hinata was waiting below.

Once they were within reach, Hinata made the fatal blows to the neck.

N

The two Akatsuki members fell limply to the ground as the shy Hyuuga panted; her arms limp by her sides.

Just then, Seijin's chakra wings flapped. Hinata, unable to move away in time, got hit hard by Seijin's left wing, falling and skidding several feet away.

"I… didn't have enough strength left…" Hinata mumbled, feeling guilty.

"It's okay," Tenten said soothingly, while glaring over at the Akatsuki members.

The samurai somehow managed to stagger to his feet, pulling the swearing, immobile Deidara up and supporting him. With one deadly glance at the shinobis, Seijin took off upwards, escaping through the air well. His voice remained, echoing in the cave.

"This isn't over yet!"

N

_How was that? I guess it was short, but that was all I could manage. This is one of my favourite characters- my friends tell me their favourite part was Hinata's attack. And I'm really proud because I created the 'Shiki Dansu' attack for the four kunoichis!_

_Just in case you don't understand the Japanese words I used:_

_**Konoha:Shiki Dansu**- Konoha: Dance of the Four Seasons _

_**Haru Dansu: Arashi Shuriken**- Spring Dance: Shuriken Storm (Sakura)_

_**Natsu Dansu: Saseru Cho**- Summer Dance: Butterfly Swirl (Ino)_

_**Aki Dansu: Soushoryuu Kogeki Desu**- Autumn Dance: Rising Twin Dragons Attack (Tenten)_

_**Fuyu Dansu: Kaiten-Jyuken Ketsugo**- Winter Dance: Kaiten-Jyuken Combination (Hinata)_

_They sound a lot cheesier in English. Oh well. _

_Anyway, hope you guys liked- no, loved it. Review!_

_Next chapter:_

_Chapter 11: Chest of Secrets_

_十一__- __秘密之箱_

_Don't forget to review! _

_-Raven Ariana-_


	12. Chapter 11: Chest of Secrets

_Hey guys!!! Sorry for the long wait, I was busy. But all the same, I love you guys for all the reviews! This chapter is pretty long by my standards, and there's an unexpected twist at the end, so read carefully!_

_Enjoy it!_

N

Chapter 11- Chest of Secrets

十一 – 秘密之箱

"Forget them," Neji said calmly as Naruto fumed. "We've got more pressing matters to worry about,"

Sakura healed the last of Hinata's wounds, and stood up, looking hesitant and feeling extremely guilty. She doubted that her team had forgotten Seijin's taunting words.

"_Well, maybe I should tell them what you **neglected** to mention, Haruno,"_

Tenten gently touched the pink-haired kunoichi's shoulder and nudged her on.

"Go on. Tell them,"

Sakura took a deep breath, glancing at Tenten. Her teammates were looking at her questioningly, and Neji's emotionless façade, as he stood with his arms crossed, at the back of the group, did nothing to help her.

"There's- something I've got to tell you guys,"

N

"… Haruno clan? Those scrolls belong to _your _clan? Why didn't you _tell _me, Sakura-chan?" Naruto nearly yelled the cave down, looking indignantly at his childhood crush.

"Yeah, forehead!" Ino demanded, hands on hips. The rest of the team stayed quiet, most of them unsure of what to say, or how to react. Keeping the secret was Sakura's right, but as her friends, she could have at least told them…

"Hey, enough already," Shikamaru stepped in. "Bickering over something like that isn't going to get us anywhere. We need to find the scrolls and get back to Konoha pronto. As long as Deidara and Seijin are out there, we're not safe, and seeing as they know about the scrolls, we can't be sure of how many others know about it,"

"Right. So now we have to look for the scrolls. Split up and search?" Kiba asked.

"Wait, young ones," Takashi-sama, smiling serenely, suddenly intervened. "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And lack of trust and cooperation will be your team's weakest link if this is not cleared,"

Silence. Each shinobi tried to register his words.

"Do you still trust your teammate?"

Another moment of silence. Sakura found her breath caught in her throat. What would they say?

"Of course we do!" Ino and Naruto lashed out suddenly and simultaneously, almost indignantly. "What, you think we'd lose faith in Sakura because of some stupid scrolls?"

"It's settled, then," Takashi gave Sakura a slight smile.

"No, it's NOT settled! Where are the scrolls?" Naruto yelled from the back, standing beside Neji, nearly deafening everyone.

"Ah… for that, only Sakura here can tell us. The scrolls were hidden in Sanoke-sama, the former head monk's time, not mine. I do not know its location," the old monk gestured to the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Me?"

Everyone turned to look at her.

"How?" Sakura was at a loss for words. How was she supposed to locate the scrolls with not the faintest idea of where it was?

'_Chakra **is** your specialty, right?'_ she suddenly heard the Nanabi smirking within her.

'_Yeah… but… **scrolls** that give out chakra?_' Sakura said dubiously.

'_No, **you** let out a wave of chakra and the scrolls will react to it. I warn you, though, that it's quite… dangerous,'_

'Uh… dangerous?' the cherry blossom sweatdropped. The only reply she got was a smirk from the seven-tailed demon. She sighed. 'Okay…'

The pink-haired kunoichi opened her eyes, only to find all her teammates staring at her, waiting for a response. She took a deep breath.

"I suggest you guys defend yourselves a bit. My chakra might be a bit extreme. And according to the Nanabi, it might be… dangerous,"

The glanced at her skeptically. Sakura shrugged. "Hey, it was what the Nanabi said. Unless you want accidents happening…"

They took her advice.

Sakura closed her eyes, forming her chakra release handseals.

A huge, powerful wave of shimmering chakra spread throughout the cave, the magnitude of its force felt by everyone within its radius. The shinobis fought to hold their ground against the overpowering force. It seeped into every crack, every opening in the cave, sourcing out the location of the scrolls.

Suddenly, they heard a loud rumble. And then, the cave walls began to tremble, as if some hard object was crashing into it at intervals. The deafening sound grew louder by the second, and then everything suddenly turned quiet.

Takashi chuckled. "So, Sanoke-sama hid it _there_,"

"Where?" Lee asked excitedly.

"Behind the statue of the Goddess of Mercy," Tenten motioned to the slowly shifting statue of a beautiful woman dressed in grand robes. The crashing had started again, seemingly louder and more vicious than before. Everyone covered their ears to avoid being deafened.

A moderately sized opening could be seen in the cave wall. A particularly loud crash rocked the cave, and in a swift flash, something square shot out of the opening at top speed.

"EVERYONE! **_DOWN_**!" Sakura hollered, bracing herself to catch the object. Feet apart, the kunoichi waited for the object to make an impact, her emerald eyes closed tightly.

But it never came. The moment the flying object touched her hands, it slowed down and gently propelled itself onto the cave ground.

The rest of the shinobis stood up cautiously, eyeing the object as if it would jump up and start attacking them any second.

"What is it?" Sai asked quietly as Sakura knelt before the intricately carved chest.

The chest was moderately sized, and made of solid mahogany, brownish-red in colour. Even though it was only made from wood, it was undeniably heavy. Sakura shuddered to think just how many of her bones would have been shattered if the box _had_ crashed into her.

_If_ she'd survived the impact.

"There are some runes by the edges…" Neji knelt opposite Sakura, his right hand fingering the embossed runes. "Don't recognize them, though…"

"'Haruno', I get the name at the top, but the rest is gibberish," Tenten studied the runes. The words were carved along the edges of the lid, with exquisite craftsmanship.

However, the only detail that caught the cherry blossom's attention was the emblem carved in the center of the lid. The familiarity of the symbol brought a flood of memories rushing back to the kunoichi.

N **_(Flashback)_**

"Ojisan! You promised to show me something new today!" cried an extremely excited, pink-haired little girl as her four-year-old feet pattered on the tatami mats.

The old man turned around, smiling. He had short-cropped, snow-white hair, a kindly, though wrinkled, and weather-beaten face. His eyes - they matched his granddaughter's – sinking pools of emerald, always twinkling.

"Be patient, Sakura…" he patted her on the head, laughing. He loved it when his son came to visit, because it meant seeing that little pink-haired ray of sunshine bugging him to show her new techniques or something of the sort. It made up for having a son who point-blank refused to be a ninja.

"Come, sit down. And why don't you serve us some tea?" he motioned to the table, already decked with Sakura's favourite soft, sugared sweets and a pot of ocha. The girl obliged delightedly.

Sakura's grandfather strode over to a high shelf in his study, taking down a display item carefully, cradling the precious item in his hands.

"Sakura," the old man called. Immediately the young girl ran over, her hands clasped together. "What is it, ojisan? Show me, please!"

The old man laughed. "Look," he held out the object.

"Wow…" The young girl breathed in awe, tiny fingers reaching out to touch the round object.

It was probably about an inch thick, with a beautiful crest carved atop it. A shuriken, with a five-petaled Sakura blossom at the very centre, and the Haruno name written in kanji diagonally between the shuriken blades. It was exquisite.

"This, Sakura, is the old Haruno family crest," her grandfather explained, letting her touch the emblem. "You must remember it… someday it will be _yours_,"

"Hai, ojisan!"

"Now, try this," the old man said with a smile, kneeling on the floor beside his granddaughter. He tilted the object for her to get a better view, and deftly pressed several sakura petals.

Immediately the shuriken part of the crest sank inwards, and then rotated in a clockwise motion. The blades penetrated the sides of the small round disc.

"I made this as a lock, Sakura," her grandfather said quietly. "You press the sakura petals to make it work,"

"Oh…" the pink haired girl stared in awe.

"Listen and watch carefully, now," the old man retracted the lock. "First you press the top petal, then the bottom left one, and then the top right one," he pressed them, and then the blades sprang out. He pressed the combination again, and the blades retracted, falling back into place. It hardly looked like there was a groove between the carved elements of the lock, its craftsmanship was perfect.

"Remember… it's always top… bottom left… top right…"

_Top, bottom left, top right…_

N **_(End of flashback)_**

"How d'you get this darned thing to open, anyway?" Naruto asked loudly, his voice echoing through the cave as he tried to pry open the heavy mahogany lid.

Sakura's mind was elsewhere.

_Top, bottom left, top right…_

"Dunno… looks pretty complicated," then came Ino's bored voice.

_Top… bottom left… top right…_

The kunoichi subconsciously reached out a hand towards the embossed family crest. Her fingers pressed the top petal. And then the bottom left one. And then the top right one.

They heard a click, followed by a whirring noise and another click.

Carefully, Sakura lifted the lock, and opened the box.

N

Two plain-looking scrolls were all that were in the box. Considering the size of the box, the contents looked rather miserable, lying framed by faded pink satin cloths that had gathered dust over the years.

"That's _it_?" Ino demanded incredulously. "We traveled for three weeks, fought a chakra maniac and Akatsuki members, witnessed a dead village and nearly killed you for _this_?"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, crossing his arms.

"**_What_**?" Ino snarled at the Nara genius.

"It's too troublesome to explain,"

The soul-switching kunoichi looked like she was about to burst, but was cut off by Sakura.

"It isn't the way the covers look, Ino… it's the content that matters," Sakura spoke quietly, reaching out a hand to lift one of the scrolls.

"Stop it," a certain Hyuuga prodigy hissed. "Someone is coming through the back - get out, all of you!"

"I'll take these," Sakura said promptly, grabbing the two scrolls and the lock. "Neji, Sai, take this, please," she swiftly shut the chest lid and swung it over to the guys.

"Yeah," Neji caught it. "Tenten…"

"Gotcha," the weapons mistress was already strapping on a wrist catapult, modified after Shizune's poison dart catapult.

"They're getting closer…" Neji warned.

"Everyone! Out _now_!" Shikamaru hollered.

"Tenten, pass me one of those," Sakura called.

"Catch," her friend grinned. The cherry blossom quickly strapped it on, loading the catapult with six kunais. "Aim for that stretch loose rock up there," the weapons mistress called to her friend, pointing to the back of the cave, through which they could see an opening.

Sakura nodded. "One…" Both kunoichis pulled the catapults back, taking aim.

"Two…"

"THREE!"

Twelve kunais went flying, right on target. The loose rocks began crumbling rapidly as the kunais lodged between the visible cracks, bringing down larger, heavier rocks.

Not pausing to watch, Sakura and Tenten made a dash for the exit. Takashi-sama smiled as they passed, his fellow monks forming a straight line behind him.

"Good luck to all of you!" he called after them. Sakura halted, looking back in surprise.

"You… aren't coming?"

"No," the old monk smiled serenely. "My duty – our duty is to protect this temple, and we will rebuild it – or die fighting for it. Now, go!"

The cherry blossom spared one last glance at the crumbling temple, turning at Tenten's call. She ran until she reached the cave opening.

"Everyone else is down there already… let's get going!" the brown-haired kunoichi said urgently.

Sakura took a step towards her friend, and then felt her intuition tingling. She could feel – what was it? _'Orochimaru… that's his aura,'_ her inner self hissed.

"Sakura!" Tenten grabbed her arm. "What's gotten into you?"

"Wait…" Sakura said slowly. "I think it's Orochimaru trying to get in from the back… I have that feeling…"She whispered. "S-Sasuke might be with him!"

The crumbling cave was echoing loud curses and the sound of someone trying to break through the stone barrier they had created. Tenten took one look at her best friend's face and knew what the kunoichi wanted to do – turn back.

Tenten grabbed Sakura's shoulders, both standing perilously close to the edge of the cliff. She could tell that Neji's eyes were looking upward from below, wondering what was happening between them.

"Sakura. Listen. You can't go back in there. You're still no match for Orochimaru, not to mention if Sasuke and Kabuto are with him. Besides, you can't even be sure that it's really them – it might be those Akatsuki dogs trying to get the scrolls. You _can't_ – go – in – there,"

The cherry blossom averted her eyes to the ground. She knew Tenten was right, as much as she hated to admit it. She'd already put her teammates' lives on the line once, and she couldn't do it again.

She took one last look at the entrance of the cave behind her before turning to her friend and taking a deep breath.

"Let's go,"

Tenten smiled.

Without another word, both girls took a few steps backward, ran, and dived off the cliff into the clear lake water below.

N

When the duo emerged, soaking wet, from the lake, their team was nowhere to be seen. Sakura shook her wet hair out of her face and spotted Shikamaru signaling to them from the cover of the trees.

Quickly checking that her lock and scrolls were intact, the cherry blossom motioned to Tenten, and sparing a quick glance upwards to make sure no one was watching them, they sprinted off into the trees.

They found Ino retying her wet hair, grumbling about getting soaked, Naruto complaining about why they didn't stay back to kick some butt; and the Nara genius rolling his eyes, throwing a look at Sakura and Tenten that clearly said 'thank-kami-sama-you're-here-now-let's-get-going-before-I-go-insane'.

"Where's everyone?" Tenten asked quietly, shaking out her long brown hair as they hurried after Shikamaru.

"Neji led them away first, we're going across Earth country before turning towards Konoha – at least we'll avoid open land," Shikamaru explained.

"What happened up there, anyway? You guys made us wait for _ages_," Ino asked curiously as they sprinted across the desert.

"Something," Tenten said simply. Night was falling, and once again, the chilly winds ripped through their wet garments and stung them like ice. The five shinobis could just see the rest of their team some distance before them, and picked up their pace.

Sakura felt the weight of all the added objects inside her backpack, but it wasn't just physical weight that was bothering her. The emotional burden was taking its toll as well. Her thoughts wandered… to the lock… the scrolls… her grandfather…

'_Chichioya… okasan…'_

And then, in a fleeting moment, the image of a grinning, four year old boy with jet black hair and large brown eyes resurfaced in her mind.

Sakura jolted inwardly. That face – it – it was –

Her brother.

N _**(Flashback**)_

"Yuki! Get back in here! It's dangerous to play on the road!" His mother called from inside the weapons shop Sakura's grandfather owned. "Sakura, please go get your brother back inside the shop, okay?" the beautiful, silver-haired woman told her daughter, who nodded and ran out.

The four-year-old boy did not heed his mother's call. Laughing and making faces at his six-year-old sister, he continued running in the middle of the street.

Smiling at her brother's childishness, Sakura tried to follow him through the busy crowd and get back into the shop before okasan got mad, but she was nowhere as nimble as Yuki and soon lost him.

Sakura began to panic. Yuki was only four, he couldn't take care of himself. If anything happened to him, she'd never –

'_There!'_ the cherry blossom yelled triumphantly in her mind, spotting her brother standing on the street not far off. She raced towards him.

"Yuki!" Sakura called, laughing. "Come back here, you little –"

She stopped abruptly, mid-sentence. The loud thundering of hooves could be heard, not far off. Sakura saw the merchant's wagon, pulled by four large horses, racing up the street – straight towards her brother!

Yuki, blissfully ignorant of the impending disaster, continued laughing at the 'weird' expression on his older sister's face. Sakura bolted towards him, hoping against hope that she could push him away in time.

'_No… I'm too far off!'_

The wagon drew closer. Sakura could just see the horses' hooves thundering upon the ground with unmistakable force, causing clouds of dust to billow while heading straight for her brother –

Yuki turned to look behind him and saw the horses looming, bearing down on him, and let out a cry of surprise.

'_Just a bit more – **c'mon**!'_ Sakura urged herself inwardly, shaking as she ran.

Too late. A blue-black blur rolled out upon the road and the wagon roared past. Sakura closed her eyes and sank to the ground, letting out a strangled cry.

"_**YUKI!"**_

N

_YES!!!! I finally finished this chapter!!!!! And it ends on a cliffhanger! (**grins evilly).**_

_Anyway, that was the new character I mentioned, Haruno Yuki, Sakura's brother (unexpected?) and also Sakura's grandfather, mentioned in earlier chapters. I won't give him a name._

_Again, this chapter was great fun to do, because of all the flashbacks. I don't think there's anything I need to explain for now… so… what did you guys think?_

_Next chapter:_

_Chapter 12- Haruno Secret Scrolls_

_十二 – 春野秘卷_

_See ya!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	13. Chapter 12: Haruno Secret Scroll

_Hey…! 209 reviews, I'm so happy! Thanks guys!_

_Everyone was begging for an update, so I was working really hard on this! I love you guys!_

_This chapter is dedicated to **rebel-girl** for being the 200th reviewer! _

_Surprisingly, everyone thought Haruno Yuki would die… well… you'll just have to read on to find out! I'm very bad at killing off my own characters… but still…_

_Okay, enough with my ranting and on with the story!_

_Enjoy!_

N

Chapter 12- Haruno Secret Scrolls

十二 – 春野密卷

The pink-haired girl's shoulders shook as she buried her face in her hands, not willing to witness her brother's fate. Sob after sob sounded, tears spilling out of her emerald eyes.

'_Yuki…'_

Then she heard a round of applause, growing louder by the minute.

Applause…?

Sakura lifted her tear-stained face to get a view of what the commotion was all about – only to find Yuki running towards her, looking as if nothing had happened. There was only concern etched in his face – why was his sister crying?

"Onee-san… don't cry…" he cooed, his large brown eyes staring up at her adorably.

Sakura reached out a hand to touch her brother's arm, trying to ascertain that he was real, that it wasn't a trick of her mind. Breaking into sobs again, she gathered Yuki in her arms and hugged him tightly.

"Don't you _EVER_ scare me like that again, you hear me, Yuki?" she said through her tears. The little boy gently pried himself from his sister's grasp.

"Hai, nee-san!" he mock saluted, grinning at her. His expression once again reverted into concern when he saw his sister's tears still flowing. "Don't cry, onee-san, please don't cry…"

Sakura quickly wiped off her tears, standing up. "I'm – I'm not crying anymore, Yuki…" she punched him playfully on the arm. Yuki retorted with a mischievous grin.

The young boy started, as if suddenly remembering something. He grabbed his sister by the arm and dragged her forward.

"Nii-san saved me from the big bad horses!" he pointed at a boy about her age, with raven hair and onyx eyes. The handsome boy stepped up, smiling.

Sakura's heart stopped for a moment. Regaining her senses, she stepped up to face him.

"Uh…" she began uncertainly.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he offered, smiling.

"Oh…" she said, blushing slightly. "Haruno Sakura,"

"And I'm Yuki-chan!" Yuki piped up gleefully.

Sasuke laughed. "Yes, I know. You're sister's scream told me that," he cast her a sideways glance.

Sakura turned very red. Remembering her manners, Sakura dropped into a bow. "Arigatou, Sasuke-san," she said shyly.

"Hey, it was nothing," he grinned, then bent down to ruffle Yuki's hair. "Just take care, Yuki-chan, and don't go running on the street, okay? Don't make your sister worry…"

"Hai!" Yuki grinned.

"Okay, I really have to go now… bye, then," Sasuke turned, waving. "See you guys around!"

Sakura smiled slightly, nodding to Sasuke. "C'mon, Yuki…"

N _(End of Flashback)_

Sakura felt the hot tears stinging her eyes, but blatantly refused to cry. Sasuke had been so… different.

It seemed that fate was intent on claiming Yuki's life. A year later, the energetic boy died of sickness – but he smiled to the end, despite his suffering, always assuring Sakura that he was 'alright'.

After he died, Sakura could almost feel nothing. She withdrew herself. When she met Sasuke again at the Academy, she felt some hope that he'd understand what she felt – after all, the entire village knew about Itachi killing their clan - but he shattered all those hopes. He didn't remember her. He was dead-set on revenge.

Then he left. Then her parents died.

'_Everything's… **gone**,'_

N

Sakura collapsed beneath a large tree, utterly exhausted. Burying her pale face in her arms, wrapped around her knees, the cherry blossom let her emotions take over, but tears still blatantly refused to come, to offer her some long-awaited relief.

The clueless Naruto started at seeing Sakura's shoulders shaking, and immediately dropped his tasks to walk towards his teammate.

"Naruto-kun…"

A quiet voice held him back. He turned, to find the opaque-eyed Hyuuga heir calling to him.

"Don't…" the shy girl cautioned. "Sakura-chan needs to be alone for awhile,"

"B-but-" Naruto made a move to protest.

"Leave her be, Naruto,"

Neji stood behind Hinata with folded arms. "C'mon, let's get on with our work,:

The hyperactive ninja reluctantly turned away, glancing at Sakura's pitiful state.

'_Whatever it is, Sakura-chan… hang on…'_

N

Sakura stayed at her spot all through dinner, and until everyone was getting ready to sleep. Since they were already in Fire territory, everyone was rather relaxed.

Tenten approached Sakura quietly. The pink-haired girl was staring into the night sky, her arms still wrapped around her knees.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Sakura simply nodded, glancing up at her friend with a slight smile.

Silence ensued as Tenten quietly sat down.

"Want to talk about anything?" the weapons mistress asked as she lay back against the tree trunk, watching the stars flicker in the dark sky.

Sakura shook her head. "I'm fine…"

"If you ever want to talk, just let me know, 'kay?" Tenten said gently, turning to look at Sakura, her chocolate eyes full of concern.

"Yeah," Sakura said with a smile. "I know. Thanks,"

"Get some sleep," Tenten advised, letting out a huge yawn. She stood up, dusted herself and climbed into the tent she shared with Sakura. "Don't think too much!" she called back.

"I'll just stare at the sky for a bit longer," Sakura replied, a real smile spreading over her face. "G'night!"

Tenten stuck her head out of the tent and waved to show that she had heard, before disappearing inside the tent again.

A few moments later, her hyperactive teammate had joined her, chatting animatedly about how he missed Ichiraku Ramen, how he wondered what Kaka-sensei was doing, whether if Tsunade-baa-chan was worried about them or not, and on the whole, he made Sakura laugh so much she ended up with stitches in her side before she stumbled off into her tent to sleep.

So much for staring at the sky.

N

Sakura was just about to close her eyes and fall asleep when she remembered something. Sitting up, she reached into her backpack and took out the small rag doll the dying girl had given her.

Just staring at the yarn-knit brown hair, black button eyes, tiny nose and smiling mouth made Sakura think of the little girl back in Konoha who brought her wild flowers ever two days because _'onee-san saved my mommy'._

She smiled slightly and replaced the rag doll, turning over to sleep again.

'_I'm doing the right thing, I guess,'_

N

The cherry blossom awoke with a start, for some reason sweating profusely, inside her tent in the middle of the night. Tenten remained sound asleep beside her, oblivious to the world.

The cool night breeze blew through the mosquito netting of their tent, proving that it wasn't humid temperature making her all moody. _Something_ just bothered her. It was a nagging, overpowering feeling that seemed to influence her thoughts and tell her what to do.

Sakura found herself involuntarily reaching out for the family scroll inside her backpack, standing up drowsily on her two tired feet and walking out of the tent, the precious scroll in hand.

The force led her on. It was almost like she was sleepwalking, apart from the fact that she was actually conscious of what she was doing – she was just unable to control herself. She could even hear Sai, who was on night watch, calling her name in confusion, but she was unable to respond. She heard it, but she did not _register_ it.

Somewhere in the middle of her dream-like state, the pink-haired kunoichi recognized the pathway she was taking. It led to another isolated clearing, situated right next to the stream where they obtained their water.

Vaguely, she wondered why in the world she was going in that direction, but natural human curiosity got the better of her and she did not try to oppose the force controlling her.

'_Sakura, you baka! Turn around this instant and get your sorry butt back to camp!_ _Who knows **what's** in the clearing? **SAKURA**!'_ her inner self ranted furiously – to no avail.

It was when she stood in the middle of the clearing, when the force had somehow stopped controlling her – and silence surrounded her – that Sakura finally realized something.

'_What am I doing here?'_

N

"Neji! Shikamaru! Get your butts out of your tent this very _second_!"

Tenten's holler shattered the peaceful silence, rudely jolting everyone in the camp awake.

Neji was the first to exit his tent, Shikamaru crawling out behind the Hyuuga, still half asleep.

"What is it… you troublesome woman…" he yawned lazily.

The weapons mistress rewarded him with a hard smack to the head that brought him sharply back to earth.

"Sakura just wandered off somewhere – it's like she's in a trace," Tenten said breathlessly. "Sai said she was headed for the stream, she didn't reply to his calls. He told me before he went to follow her,"

Neji let out an exasperated sigh. Already the rest were up, yawning while asking about the commotion.

"Sakura's gonna be in a hell lot of trouble when we get back to Konoha… lead the way, Tenten,"

N

The pink0haired kunoichi studied the scroll carefully. When she saw the scroll briefly in the cave, it already had two kanji letters on it.

春野。Haruno.

She hadn't found the time to examine the contents of the scroll, but now she noticed the addition of words that definitely had not been there previously.

Sakura.

Basic mission rules were that no shinobi of any rank could read any enclosed information without the permission of their village leader, but Sakura decided that this was an exception. The scroll did, after all, belong the her clan – and it had her name on it.

Usually, Sakura would not have bent any rules under any circumstances, but she was feeling… reckless. Like she didn't want to care. Like, for once, she wanted to do what her heart told her to.

Not leaving any more room for doubt, Sakura flung open the scroll in a single, fleeting movement.

It stayed in the air, fluttering gently. The silence remained unbroken.

And then –

The scroll emitted a single, purely white beam of light, passing just above Sakura's head. Fascinated, she watched the beam engulfing the clearing and beyond in streaks of beautiful, blinding white light, before the light flickered and faded…

Then the earth trembled, causing the water in the nearby stream to leap up, sending water droplets spraying all over the cherry blossom. Sakura's emerald eyes caught what seemed to be flashes of fire dancing around her as the wind swirled wildly. The tingling sensation of electricity in the air tickled her fair skin.

Such a sight would have scared most people, but Sakura felt strangely at peace. Like all the elements were in total harmony with her – like she had _control_.

But what she saw next, in her mind, brought her crashing down from cloud nine.

Her family, standing together. Four semi-transparent, floating figures, her grandfather beside her father, her father with an arm around her mother, and her mother – holding Yuki's hand while he frantically waved at her, laughing.

They looked so complete… without her.

N

"What's happening?" Tenten asked as they caught up with Sai, who was watching Sakura from behind some bushes.

"I don't know…" this time, even Sai's voice betrayed worry. "I don't know what's happening to her…"

"Sakura-san looks like she is deeply immersed in her fire of youth!" Lee exclaimed, his eyes wide. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Tenten would've laughed.

"She looks like she's… _seeing_ something," Neji said slowly, studying the scene.

"So? What are we waiting for? We have to stop whatever's controlling her!" Naruto said impatiently.

"Remember what happened the last time we rushed in to 'save' her?" Shikamaru said sharply, referring to the time when their attacks on the Nanabi hit her instead. "We don't know what we'll do to her – we can only wait and see,"

N

"_Sakura…"_ her grandfather was suddenly standing before her, his ghostly, yet kindly image reaching for her shoulders.

"Ojisan…" she whispered. She did not notice the white light forming a graceful, upward swirl surrounding her, nor anything else around her.

"_I don't have much time, Sakura, this jutsu only allows me a few moments,"_ the old man said urgently. _"Listen to me, and remember this – never, ever let this immense power overcome you. It's a rare secret that few of our clan were destined to know, to master. You must control the strength within, not the other way around. Remember that!"_

Her grandfather slowly trudged backwards, towards the rest of her family, giving her a small smile. _"Never let the power control you – use it well!"_

With familiar smiles and waves, her family was disappearing, fading into nothingness. Sakura tried to reach out, to pull them back towards her, never to let them go, but…

The white light had disappeared. The scroll lay on the ground, now devoid of its contents. Sakura saw nothing, felt nothing. She only registered the streaks of her warm, salty tears running down her cheeks.

There was no so, no sound – just tears.

For the first time in five years, Haruno Sakura was _crying_.

N

Silence stretched on like eternity. No one had seen Sakura crying since her parents' deaths five years ago. And no one knew how to console her – because none of them knew what she had seen.

Hinata felt something that she couldn't place. What they had just seen happening to Sakura was some sort of ritual. She felt that it was familiar, somewhat, but she was pretty sure that she had never seen it before…

Then it clicked.

"Neji-nii-san…" she whispered. He nodded at her.

"The transferring ritual," he confirmed. "Something like when the Byakugan was not yet a kekkai genkai, and had to be transferred through rituals,"

"And – and also – remember when we studied about the history of the other clans?" Hinata spoke quietly.

"Haruno… some of them had exclusive control of all five elements, right?" Neji's eyes narrowed as he tried to remember what he had been taught in the Hyuuga household.

"Yes…"

"Come on,"

The Hyuuga genius beckoned to her as he stepped towards the motionless Sakura, still standing in the middle of the clearing. Her salty tears had dried upon her pale cheeks and her emerald eyes stared blankly into space. Neji shuddered at the sight. It was almost like her eyes, once the liveliest part of her, had lost its glow entirely.

"Sakura," he shook her gently by the shoulder.

For a moment, she looked like she wasn't about to respond, but then she turned around slowly to face him, still emotionless.

"Here," he handed her a small, blank card. "Channel some chakra into it,"

She looked at him curiously, but accepted the card. Sakura recognized it as the chakra nature card, and vaguely remembered that when she had used it before, on Tsunade's request, that her chakra was earth natured.

The cherry blossom, however, did as she was told.

She concentrated, and felt the familiar surge of chakra coursing through her right hand…

Everyone was silent, for some reason watching the scene with bated breaths, not knowing what to expect. The card began to show signs of cracking, turning silver. And then it shattered. Thousands of tiny, silver, glass-like fragments showered upon the ground, reflecting the moonlight like tiny stars.

Sakura snapped out of her dream-like state abruptly, watching the beautiful scene in fascination. When the card reacted like that…

"Sakura," Neji said quietly, eyeing the card fragments on the ground. When the card reacted like that – and it didn't happen often – it meant that the person had an affiliation to all five elements.

"It would seem that you now have control over all the five elements,"

N

_How was that? Harunos have exclusive control over the elements! (I made that up). And well… you now know the contents of one of the scrolls… and what actually happened to Yuki. _

_I managed to finish this before my vacation! And this update was really soon, so don't begrudge me! The next update will probably on Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas… _

_So… I guess there's nothing more to say… _

_Next chapter:_

_Chapter 13 – Kakashi's Summon._

_（ __I can't translate that either__）_

_Well, Merry Christmas to everyone on Fanfiction, especially to my readers and reviewers! Thanks for being so faithful and sitting through my story…_

_Review, and again, Merry Christmas!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	14. Chapter 13: Kakashi's Summon

_Wow, I got another chapter done – before Christmas, as requested by most of you! It should be a nice treat before you all go off to family dinners and stuff… enjoy yourselves!_

_This chapter is dedicated to **Kawaii IceCream** for successfully making me laugh with her review! Thanks, to all of you as well, for reading through all fourteen chapters of this story (including the prologue) just to see Sasuke… hehe…_

_Read on!_

N

Chapter 13- Kakashi's Summon

There was nothing but silence as the group of shinobis traveled towards Leaf, Gaara following them to meet the Hokage in Konoha.

The air was tensed and solemn, each shinobi was occupied with their own train of thought – particularly a certain pink-haired kunoichi, who lagged behind in the formation, still trying to comprehend everything that had happened within the short span of the past two days.

She wondered why memories of her family affected her so much now. It was probably because the mission, the Nanabi and the scrolls were so closely linked to her long gone family…

Sakura had always assumed that she had finally accepted the fact that her family – everything that she had once knew and loved – were gone, but now she realized the truth.

She had never really let go. All these years, she had still clung on to past memories so tightly, but she'd forced herself not to let emotion take over, telling her to get a grip and be strong, when deep inside, she'd never had the strength to let go.

That was probably why all those memories haunted her now.

The cherry blossom tilted her head slightly to the left, catching a glimpse of the newly embedded seal on her left arm, in the form of the ancient Haruno symbol. She'd noticed it that morning, having collapsed from exhaustion after the 'ritual' of sorts on the previous night.

'_I seem to have an affiliation to seals and marks…'_ Sakura thought dryly, picturing the Nanabi's mark running down her arm with the Haruno crest just above it, and also the tattoo of her favourite quote, 'strength' in kanji on her right shoulder. And the seals on her palms from the Binding Seal Jutsu that Kakashi had used on her before she'd left for the mission.

'_How much more can I handle?'_ she sighed inwardly, willing the entire nightmare to just go away and leave her in peace.

N

Being only at the border of Leaf, they had about six more days of travel. Neji decided to let them spend the night at an inn in a village he'd once visited on a mission, seeing as everyone needed a lot of rest.

Ino had squealed with delight when Neji mentioned that the inn had an onsen. Sakura, Tenten and Hinata merely smiled tiredly. It'd be a nice change for them…

The forest was thinning, patches of sunlight streamed through the tree canopy, the mud path broadened into a proper road leading towards the village in the distance. For a moment, Sakura let her mind drift, to admire the natural beauty around her, inhaling the sweet, fresh forest scent deeply.

The cherry blossom was rudely jolted out of her trance when a sharp, searing pain coursed through both her palms. She gasped involuntarily, clasping her hands together in an instinctive attempt to stop this burning pain.

The crystal locket around her neck, the one that Kakashi had bestowed upon her with the Binding Seal Jutsu, was glowing red-hot, and pointing discreetly towards the direction of the setting sun on its own accord.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Kiba asked sharply as the team turned to look at her curiously.

"Nothing," Sakura said with a nonchalant smile, hoping against hope that they'd actually buy that.

"You're lying, Sakura,"

'_**Damn** Neji and his Byakugan!'_ Sakura cursed inwardly.

"Don't lie," Neji warned, his arms crossed. Tenten strode over to her best friend, gently unclasping Sakura's hands and examining the seals embossed into her palms.

"Someone used Azarashi no Jutsu on you," Tenten said quietly, her voice undemanding, unassuming.

Everyone stared at Sakura. _'Well, obviously,'_ Sakura thought bitterly. _'After everything that has happened, I'm not exactly the most trusted member of the team, am I?'_

She sighed, prying her hands loose from Tenten's grip.

"Kakashi-sensei…"

"For what?" Naruto asked concernedly, pushing his way to get in front of her. He obviously had no idea of what Azarashi no Jutsu was. "What did Kaka-sensei do to you? If he hurt you – "

"No!" Sakura snapped, irritated. "Just let me explain already!"

Naruto fell silent, his expression disconcerted. It had been a long while since Sakura had snapped at him like that.

Sakura took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down.

"Before we left on this mission… Kakashi-sensei told me that he was going on another S-ranked mission, and that he might need my help – "

She caught their incredulous faces and felt her fists clenching. _'**Why** am I explaining myself to them in the first place?'_

"I _know_, that's exactly what I told him! But he was serious about it,"

"You _know_ he wasn't serious, Sakura-chan!" Naruto cut in.

"He's a Jounin, Sakura… an elite ANBU member… D'you think he'd ever need any help from a chunnin? And even if he did, do you really think that you'd be able to hold your own against someone he couldn't handle?" Shikamaru added quietly. He had reason, but Sakura refused to give in.

"So you're saying that you don't believe that I'm capable?" Sakura half-snarled, struggling to keep her temper in check.

"No one's underestimating you, ugly…" Sai stated. "They're right,"

"He might be hurt! He might be _dying_, and you're telling me to stay comfortably protected and leave him be?" Sakura raised her voice, trembling with pent-up anger.

"There are rules, Sakura – " Neji started.

"I _know_ the rules, dammit! But have you forgotten our code of honour? Where 'no shinobi leaves his comrade to die'?" her emerald eyes flashed dangerously at him. "I'm not asking the team to come with me, I can always look for him alone!"

"Tsunade-sama's orders were for us to return safely, _as a team_," Neji countered. "You may not realize your duty, Sakura, but I do. Mine is to get you safely back to Konoha, regardless of the circumstances. You're not the only one who cares about Kakashi,"

"But – "

"I said **_no_**, Haruno!" Our mission is complete and we will return to Konoha _together_. You are _not_ going off alone to find Kakashi. Do I get myself clear?" the Hyuuga prodigy raised his voice to counter hers.

It was a known fact that when Neji called you by your last name, whatever he said was final. Sakura fought the urge to retort.

She lowered her gaze, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill from her emerald eyes.

Everyone was silent, wondering what was about to happen.

"Promise me you won't go, Sakura," Neji said quietly, his opaque eyes staring at her.

Sakura closed her eyes and discreetly crossed her fingers.

"I promise,"

N

The inn was beautiful, secluded in a glaze surrounded by greenery. The innkeeper provided them with three rooms, two for the boys and one for the girls, instructed them on directions to the onsen and to the common room, then left them to their own devices.

Luckily, no one recognized the Kazekage, his gourd concealed by genjutsu, and they were left in peace.

Once again sharing a room, the four girls fell into routine. Ino dragged Hinata to the onsen for a bath, while Sakura sat at the bay window, staring at the twilight sky. Tenten lay, spread-eagled on the bed, folding paper shurikens from scraps of paper.

The cherry blossom suddenly stood up. "I'm going out for a walk… I think I need to clear my head a bit,"

"Want me to come along?" Tenten sat up.

"No thanks… I need to be alone," Sakura said quietly.

Tenten nodded understandingly. "Don't stay out late, okay?"

"Yeah," Sakura stealthily picked up her backpack, all filled and ready for her 'solo' mission. She prayed hard as she walked out of the room.

The weapons mistress noticed nothing.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Sakura heaved a silent sight of relief. Quickly checking if anyone was about, Sakura climbed onto a nearby window sill, leaping out swiftly. She landed lightly on the grassy ground, hoisting her backpack onto her shoulders.

The crystal locket was still slightly elevated, pointing towards the trees. Taking a deep breath, Sakura sprinted off with nothing more than a backward glance and a quick, soft apology to her team.

N

Neji knocked lightly on the girls' room door. The door opened slightly before a shriek rang out,

"Wait! I can't be seen with my hair like this!"

'Ino, presumably,' Neji sighed inwardly. Hinata opened the door moments later.

"Neji nii-san?" the Hyuuga heir asked curiously.

Neji was silent. Ino and Tenten were inside, but…

"Where's Sakura?" he walked in casually, his eyes scanning the room swiftly. "We're about to have a meeting,"

"She went out for a walk," Tenten replied as she picked up her paper shurikens and stowed them away in a cloth pouch.

"She went out for a walk?" Neji questioned, taking Tenten by the arm and pulling her to where their backpacks lay. "So tell me – who takes their backpacks out on walks?" he continued asking quietly, motioning to the three backpacks on the floor.

The three kunoichis stared at each other, speechless.

"Tenten. What time did she leave?" the Hyuuga prodigy asked.

"About an hour ago…"

"Then she had a head start. Pack up, we're going after her," Neji turned to walk out. "I'll tell the guys to get ready,"

"But – Neji nii-san – you said – " Hinata spoke slowly, her pale eyes glancing at him in surprise.

"I didn't expect her to listen to me. Did you?" Neji smirked.

Hinata shook her head.

"She's always got a mind of her own… we wouldn't be able to stop her, at any rate. Besides – " Neji turned to walk out, the faintest hint of a smile on his face.

"I really want to see who the Hatake Kakashi couldn't handle alone,"

N

Sakura swung herself over a fallen log, landing quietly on the mossy forest grounds, sweating profusely. She took a moment to catch her breath, instantly becoming aware of the locket pulling strongly around her neck.

Kakashi was near.

'_Who could he be facing? Am I too late?'_ she thought worriedly. _'It's been several hours… the enemy's probably gone…' _Sakura reassured herself, despite logic arguing that unless his enemy had killed him, whoever it was wouldn't have left.

The kunoichi's internal clock told her that it was almost dawn. Swiftly and silently, she darted through the shadows of the trees, hearing voices from a distance just as she passed a huge birch tree.

The cherry blossom quickened her steps, but gasped as a kunai whizzed past her head. Instincts kicking in, she ducked low, checking for any signs of enemies.

There was none. No one targeting her, at least. Sakura cautiously picked the kunai up from the ground and examined it. There was a tiny slash on the loop handle – Kakashi's weapons signature.

She stood slowly, never letting down her guard while pocketing the kunai. Edging through the trees, Sakura focused on locating the source of the noise.

From her spot in the trees, she could see Kakashi staggering to his feet, covered in blood and gashes. His red Sharingan was activated, and he looked absolutely calm, but Sakura could sense his low chakra levels. At this rate, her sensei wouldn't be lasting very long against whomever he was facing.

Sakura had two options. She could take advantage of her position and use the element of surprise to attack his opponent first, or she could go straight to help Kakashi.

She quickly made her decision, charging into the tiny clearing, prepared.

N

The cherry blossom did not spare a single glance at Kakashi's opponent, choosing, instead, to look at her sensei. Directing her healing chakra towards his deeper gashes, she playfully reprimanded him.

"Your kunai nearly killed me back there…" she told him. Kakashi winced as she healed him.

"Took _you_ long enough to get here,"

"I had to find an opening to escape, you moron," Sakura retorted. "The team wouldn't let me leave… saying you could take care of yourself and all… _right_,"

Kakashi wasn't paying any attention to Sakura's words. "Sakura…"

Sakura continued her lecture without heeding him. "What would have happened if I didn't come?"

"**_SAKURA_**!"

Kakashi made a move to twist himself around her to protect her, but this time Sakura was faster, swiftly overpowering him in an aikido move, pinning him to the ground.

At that same moment, the kunoichi spun around with a flying roundhouse kick, dodging a lightning-encased blade narrowly. Her attacker felt the impact of her kick, but quickly adjusted, landing on both feet, some distance away. The cherry blossom leapt back a few feet, landing I a crouch.

"I'm not dumb," Sakura's voice came out as a snarl. Her emerald eyes flashed upwards, meeting those of her attacker's.

"Sasuke."

N

_Haha… cliffhanger… what a nice present for Christmas, huh? I'm so evil…_

_Well, once again, thanks for all the reviews! Love you guys!_

_And for those who did not understand what Azarashi no Jutsu is, go check out chapter 2. (my chapter two, after the prologue and chapter one_

_Okay?_

_Next chapter:_

_Chapter 14- Reunion_

_十四__- __聚会_

_That's it, I guess… Merry Christmas to everyone on Fanfiction! Enjoy your weekend and Christmas!_

_Review! Ciaoz!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	15. Chapter 14: Reunion

_Hey! 268 reviews to date! I'm so flattered! _

_Well… I had a pretty good Christmas – I got a Japanese language learning book… hehe… (sweat) how about you guys?_

_On with the story…_

N

Chapter 14 – Reunion

十四 – 聚会

He noted that she'd grown taller, had more curves, and looked so much more mature than she had before. He'd been surprised when Sakura had suddenly leapt out of nowhere, but most of all…

He was surprised to find that it hurt when Sakura went straight to Kakashi – without sparing him a glance.

He noted the way her eyes flashed, the way her face showed no weakness, no fear when she faced him, and her undeniable self-confidence, radiating from her in waves. He also knew, once he sensed her, that she was not a pushover.

This couldn't be the Sakura he once knew. Emotional and begging for dates… none of that was happening now. This _definitely_ was not Sakura.

"You're not Sakura," Sasuke said flatly without thinking. His red Sharingan was activated, they stared her down without blinking.

Sakura looked at him strangely, before letting out a bitter laugh, one that Sasuke never knew she was capable of. "I'm not Sakura? Oh, come on, Sasuke, you should know better than that,"

He was momentarily confused by her words.

"I _am_ Sakura. I'm simply not the Sakura you knew,"

The Uchiha was silent. Sakura…

"The Sakura you knew… cried to you on the day you left. She proclaimed that she would follow you to the ends of the earth if you refused to stay, the only reason being that she cared for you. And you gave her nothing but a meaningless 'thank you'," the pink-haired kunoichi stared him in the eye. "_That_ was the Sakura you knew. The one who was actually naïve and idiotic enough to say all that to your face,"

Silence.

"I can't believe I actually did that, you know? Because now, when I look back, I realize that you just don't deserve it. You don't deserve us, never giving up on you. You don't deserve everything that Naruto and I have gone through just to shake some bloody sense into you. We've defended you from everyone who said a single bad word about you. We did so much, and we received nothing but hatred in return,"

Sakura's fists clenched unintentionally.

"Well, if I don't deserve it, then why are you still chasing after me,?" Sasuke growled, lifting his sword to strike while coming straight at her. Sakura stood, motionless. When he was a foot away from her, her gloved fist smashed into his face and sent him flying backwards, but his blade had drawn blood from her arm. A painful jolt coursed through her entire body and Sakura let out a low growl, healing her arm quickly.

"We never gave up on you," the cherry blossom said quietly. "We never gave up on you because we cared, dammit! We still care!" her voice rose in a crescendo. "We kept hoping that you'd come back some day, no matter what happened. It's been five years, Sasuke, do you even realize that?"

"I'm aware," Sasuke spat. Snakes slithered out of his yukata sleeves, surrounding his childhood teammate.

"Then…" Sakura turned to look at the silent Kakashi, who saw the tears threatening to spill from her emerald eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun,"

N

Neji swung past another branch, Akamaru now at his heels, helping to trace Sakura's cleverly concealed scent and chakra presence. Frankly, he wasn't worried about the kunoichi, he knew that she was capable in her own way.

"We've been out for an hour and a half, already, any sign of Sakura yet?" Shikamaru called from behind, landing on a branch with Ino beside him. Before he could get started on the _'troublesome'_ word, Ino sent him a death glare.

Shikamaru caught the worry reflected in her eyes and wisely said nothing more.

Gaara and Sai were silent, following Hinata at the rear of the group. Sai removed two scrolls from his pack and sent a hoard of rats scurrying around them to help Akamaru pick up chakra trails.

Everyone was immersed in their own thoughts of the most recent events, a part of them grudging Sakura for delaying their return home, but another part of them sincerely worried about her.

Lee was the only openly enthusiastic one amongst them. "We must hurry! Sakura-san may have lost much of her youthful flame already!" he proclaimed, punching his fist into the air and somersaulting, resulting in him tripping over a tree branch. Everyone groaned silently.

Tenten narrowed her eyes, behind Kiba. Naruto was long gone before them, not heeding anyone's orders, solely concerned on finding Sakura. _'You're one lucky girl, Sakura…So many people care about you… I just hope you know what you're doing…'_

"Tenten," the Hyuuga prodigy called her from up front. Grabbing a branch above her, the weapons mistress swung over Kiba, muttering a quick apology to him before landing beside Neji.

"Yeah?" she asked him quietly. She knew full well that Neji could read her thoughts, his Byakugan was activated. He looked at her, leaping over a fallen branch, his opaque eyes betraying concern.

"Sakura'll be fine. She's stronger than any one of us knows… the Nanabi and her kekkai genkai are simply added bonuses. And Naruto will find her. Those two… have a bond that we won't ever understand," he said in a low voice.

Tenten glanced at him, and for a moment, their eyes locked. "I know… thanks,"

"Neji!" Kiba hissed just as the Hyuuga branch member was about to reply Tenten. The Inuzuka pulled the couple back by their collars, not heeding their death glares. "Akamaru…"

The white ninja dog whined, looking up at them.

"There are three people in the clearing up front, not counting Naruto who's closing in on them," Sai stated before Kiba had the chance, forming handseals to retrieve his inked rats.

Kiba nodded. "Kakashi, Sakura and…"

"Sasuke," Sai finished simply.

"They're in trouble. He was no push-off the last time I faced him, and that was in the Chunnin exams," Gaara's dark-rimmed eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms.

Lee was about to speak when Neji and Hinata yelled out.

"DUCK!"

Razor-sharp missiles came flying at them, meeting Tenten's weapons in midair and clanging onto the ground uselessly. Several more were blocked by Gaara's sand.

"Well, it looks like our ambush didn't work," a familiar voice smirked. About ten figures leapt into view, a white-haired man in the lead.

"Kabuto," a certain ANBU Root member acknowledged quietly, staring the medic nin down.

"Split up!" Shikamaru yelled, taking command. "Three-man teams!"

The shinobis shot off in perfectly synchronized rhythm. Tenten, Lee and Neji took off to the right, Shikamaru, Gaara and Ino took the front, Hinata, Sai and Kiba went left.

Team Gai found themselves facing Kabuto.

"Well," the medic-nin smirked, adjusting his glasses. "Shall we begin?"

N

"I don't need you to be sorry," Sasuke snarled. "Because you'll be the one dying when I'm finished,"

"I wouldn't be so sure, _Sasuke_," the cherry blossom retorted, drawing her Fuuma Shuriken. Kakashi watched, torn between being concerned for Sakura's safety and enjoying the rather… _interesting_ match.

The trio suddenly heard a chuckle from above them.

"She's right," an averagely tall figure leapt down from the shadows of the trees. Naruto stood beside Sakura, a lopsided grin on his face as he faced Sasuke.

"Teme… so, we meet again, huh?" Naruto smirked. "But seriously, don't be so sure that you'll defeat her this time,"

N

"Looks like they're having a real cosy reunion back there," Kabuto smirked, easily dodging Tenten's flying missiles. Through the sparse forest leaves, Team Gai could barely make out three figures in the nearby clearing.

Lee's spinning kick sent the two Sound nins about to attack Tenten from behind flying. Neji dodged two kunais and hit his attacker at the heart, discreetly throwing a kunai backwards, hitting another dead-on. The Hyuuga noted that Sound nins were increasing, and frowned.

'_Kabuto's got backup… does Orochimaru know we're here?'_

"Touching, isn't it?" Kabuto sighed mockingly, leaping up another branch to avoid Tenten's punch. "Chasing after someone whom you know won't ever return…" he paused, looking back at her mockingly. "But then again… Sakura wasn't exactly… how should I put it… the _brightest_ girl around, is she?"

Obviously, he was doing nothing to ease the weapon's mistress' towering temper of indignation.

"At least it's better than chasing after a dream that will never come true, in Orochimaru's case," she snarled, pulling out two katanas.

Much to their surprise, Kabuto smirked and nodded. "Yes, it is. Orochimaru is currently rather useless, seeing as you have obtained the scrolls before him, and he is far from achieving his ambition,"

He expertly dodged Lee's punch, but did not manage to avoid Tenten's katanas. Finding deep slashes on his arm, Kabuto tried to heal himself, but the weapons mistress gave him no time to spare.

Already her Rising Twin Dragons were encircling him, throwing out weapons by the hundreds. The medic nin found himself struggling to dodge the endless barrage of razor-sharp weapons without any means of stopping the attacks, as the dragons were simply mist.

"I haven't spent five years living with a medic nin without learning anything," Tenten smirked. "A medical ninja's strength lies in their ability and stamina in manipulating chakra. If I manage to make you lose most of your chakra and energy without wasting much of my own, then the fight is in my favour,"

"I – " Kabuto dodged two kunais. " – don't lose so easily,"

He made a flying leap towards Tenten, aiming to disable the source of the attacks.

The weapons mistress jerked her chakra strings controlling the dragons. "Not so fast," she warned. "Rokuryuu: Saseru!" (1)

Four more misty, white dragons materialized, blocking Kabuto's path. All six legendary creatures rose in an upward spiral, trapping the medic nin within.

"You know what to do…" Tenten cast her male teammates a sidelong glance, gradually letting her jutsu dispel.

"Yeah," Neji said simply, leaping of the branch he was on.

"Rodger!" Lee made more of a show, taking a flying leap towards the disappearing tornado of dragons.

N

"Kiba, Hinata… hold the fort here for a few moments," Sai said in his quiet manner, blocking three kunais with his own. "I… need to do something,"

The two shinobis nodded, paled and sweating from the effort it took to face the increasing number of Sound nins.

"Make it quick," Kiba growled as he lunged at an attacker's throat, Akamaru tackling another.

Silently, Sai disappeared through the bushes, making sure that no one was following him. He knelt upon the ground and spread out an empty scroll, quickly dipping his calligraphy brush in ink and beginning to write.

Within a few moments, Sai was done. Swiftly completing a series of handseals, he placed his hands on the scroll. It glowed momentarily, and then the inked words rose from the surface of the scroll, clumping together to form the shape of a black falcon, his swiftest flying animal.

It perched atop Sai's hand, cocking its head to the side, awaiting its master's instructions on where to go.

"You know where to. Go," Sai said softly, releasing the bird. It fluttered off through the leaves.

Sai watched it disappear before pocketing his things and darting back through the bushes to rejoin his friends.

N

'_Don't be so sure you'll defeat her this time…'_

Sasuke found Naruto's words replaying in his mind. Sakura – was he no longer a match for her, even? An emotion, one that he had not felt for a long time, resurfaced.

Fear.

The Uchiha did not like this particular emotion – it made him feel like he was helpless, like he wasn't in control. Quickly brushing his doubts away, Sasuke's arrogant self reassured him. _'It isn't possible,'_

"You still underestimate me, Sasuke," Sakura's cold voice rang out. "Big mistake,"

Her right fist smashed into the ground forcefully, creating a split that shot forward for kami-sama knows how long. Sasuke gave a start and sprang aside, onyx eyes widening as he narrowly avoided falling into the deep crack.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly regained himself and went on the offensive, coming straight at Sakura with his katana poised. Naruto quickly moved in to join her, but Sakura's free hand stopped him as she blocked Sasuke's katana with a kunai, slipping beneath the blade to avoid getting slashed.

"No, Naruto…" she said softly, leaping away to find an opening for attacks.

"But – he could kill you!" the hyperactive ninja looked doubtful, knowing that Sakura was implying that she wanted to fight Sasuke by herself.

"My fight. Promise me," she said firmly as she did a backflip and landed beside him, her emerald eyes still watching Sasuke.

"Let her go, Naruto," Kakashi suddenly spoke up, still leaning against a tree behind them. The smile beneath his mask was obvious. "You'll never stop her,"

Naruto's sky blue eyes studied Sakura carefully for several seconds, watching her fend off blows, and sighed.

"…okay… but I'm coming in if things get nasty, 'kay?"

She smiled. "Yeah, sure. I'm not ready to die yet," Two shurikens slashed at two snakes slithering towards her from her left. "Just take care of Kaka-sensei…" she cast a sidelong glance at Kakashi.

The injured Jounin raised a hand sheepishly in his trademark gesture. "Yo,"

Sakura shook her head, leaping forward to face Sasuke again.

"Wish me luck,"

N

_Not much of a cliff, eh? But hey… you guys are going to KILL me when the next chapter goes up._

_I invented one jutsu in this chapter:_

_**(1)Rokuryuu: Saseru** – Six Dragons: Combine_

_Next chapter:_

_Chapter 15 – Battle_

_十五 – 战争_

_Okay, now, before I go… I have to tell you guys something – don't be mad, please._

_I promise that I will get the next chapter up by new year's day, at the very least. But I won't be updating often after that, because studies have to be my main focus – I have a major exam next year, and I have to put in a lot of work. So… there goes my leisure time. _

_However, I WILL continue to write, just updates won't be often. I'll try – perhaps one chapter a month? (sweat) or a little more often than that. I might not even be able to do that, if I'm banned from computer, so keep your fingers crossed. _

_I hope you guys understand because studies are my priority. I love to write, and I love getting reviews – I will NOT give up on this story, so just please bear with me and late updates. I also hope that you guys will not forget this story! _

_Well, that's about all I have to say… so… until next time!_

_Ja!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	16. Chapter 15: Battle

_Heyhey!!! As I promised, a chapter this week! This is a New Year present for all of you, so Happy New Year to everyone on Fanfiction, especially all my faithful readers!_

_There's been a problem with Fanfiction lately, so I haven't been replying any reviews because there weren't any alerts to me… but I'll try to reply them soon! _

_There was an anonymous reviewer (I'm sorry, I can't remember the penname) who gave me a lot of helpful hints on improving my story, so here's my review reply: (hope you see this!)_

_Seijin is strong, yes, almost impossibly so, but he has his purpose later in this story. I get the feeling that sometimes he's unbelievable, but hey… Sakura – her weak point lies in still being unable to suppress her emotions more or less successfully. She has a lot of added strengths… yeah. Couldn't help myself. but still, I'm glad you liked this story so much. I appreciate everything you've commented on so far. It's flattering!_

_Now… the last chapter before I lose my computer freedom! (Sob) (How dramatic.)_

N

Chapter 15 – Battle

十五 – 战争

For some reason, Sasuke found himself deactivating his Sharingan. Perhaps he felt that it would be an unfair advantage over a 'weak' girl, or perhaps he thought that Sakura was simply too easy an opponent.

"I suggest that you use the Sharingan," Sakura said quietly, her voice betraying no arrogance. "I'm really not as weak as you think,"

Kakashi jolted in surprise. No one in their right mind would ever ask an Uchiha to activate the Sharingan during a fight. It was simply asking for defeat, or certain death.

"I'm not going to use it. You're not worth it," Sasuke said coldly, adjusting his katana, poised to strike again.

"Let's see you stick to that resolve throughout the battle," Sakura replied, somewhat emotionlessly as well. Through the years, she'd learnt to shut her emotions out during battle, but the downside was that she often suffered overwhelming bouts of emotion afterwards.

She decided that she could worry about that later.

Both shinobis, one a top-rank kunoichi and another, a missing ninja, faced each other squarely with no further comments. Both were poised, waiting for the other to strike. Neither wished to break the golden rule of never making the first move.

Kakashi and Naruto found themselves holding their breaths, waiting for the explosion.

Instead of an explosion, they found cherry blossoms falling, so gently and subtly, out of nowhere. It was a beautiful sight.

Sasuke's onyx eyes subconsciously flickered upwards to watch the falling cherry blossoms. _'Just like Konoha… in spring… I wonder if – '_

He was jolted out of his thoughts by a sudden realization: there were no sakura trees in the forest.

The raven-haired boy narrowly dodged the storm of hidden shurikens, and retaliated with his own array of kunais, thrown at the cherry blossom. Sasuke was not happy to find his yukata torn in different parts by the flying shuriken, and cursed at himself for not being observant enough to see through Sakura's trick.

A kunai glazed the cherry blossom's arm as she did a backflip to avoid his attacks. She ignored the wound.

"I told you not to underestimate me,"

Fuuma Shuriken in hand, Sakura proceeded to bunch a series of perfectly executed, rapid attacks on her former teammate. Several blows connected. Some missed.

Either way, when Sasuke somehow managed to get into the offensive, he had begun to regret deactivating his Sharingan. He'd almost forgotten Sakura's expertise in genjutsu, as well as her competence in executing basic jutsus.

Sasuke let out a barely audible growl as yet again, his sword met a kage bunshin and it disappeared. _'Even without being annoying, she gets on my nerves…'_ he thought distastefully.

He heard a soft swish behind him and instinctively dodged. Still, Sakura's punch connected with his shoulder and sent him stumbling forward, feeling his shoulder aching painfully.

"Why did you leave us, Sasuke? Joining Orochimaru… did it make you stronger?" she asked quietly, picking him up by his collar. She had to quickly let go in a move to avoid Sasuke's katana slashing out at her. "Letting someone take over your body… is it really worth it?"

"I told you. As long as I am able to revenge my clan, I don't care what happens," Sasuke thrust his blade at her, and managed to slash her left arm. He smirked inwardly as he sprang back, but swore under his breath when the wound healed almost instantly. The markings on her arm were glowing, ever so slightly. Something stirred in Sasuke's mind. _'That seal… where have I seen it before?'_

Sakura's fist caught him unawares and sent him flying backwards, slamming into a tree.

"Don't you care about anything? Konoha? Your friends? _Us_?" She demanded, her voice raised slightly as she dodged Sasuke's lightning-encased blade.

"I never did care," Sasuke replied harshly, pinning her against a tree as his Chidori sizzled threateningly in his right hand.

"You did," Sakura looked at him quietly without struggling, and then disappeared.

"You did care,"

Her voice echoed as Sasuke swore under his breath. Another kage bunshin.

On impulse, Sasuke whirled around and caught Sakura, who was bearing down on him, by the neck and lifted her up easily, cutting off her air supply and choking her.

"What do you know, Sakura? You never did understand me, and let me tell you this – you never will,"

This time, he hit a nerve.

Before he registered it, Sakura's solid (and somewhat more painful) fist hit his abdomen with full force, making him release her and stumble backwards painfully, clutching his stomach.

"'What do I know'? _'I don't understand'_?" she hissed, before her voice rising in a crescendo. Sasuke attacked.

A surge of strength filled her rapidly as Sakura swiftly dodged blow after blow and delivered her own attacks. A spark of anger and hurt danced in her bright emerald eyes as she glared at him, her fists doing the talking.

"What do _you_ know, Sasuke?" Sakura hissed, dodging his blade narrowly. "Your parents were killed? Naruto never knew his parents. Neither did Kakashi-sensei. _My_ own parents were killed on the day you left, by the very Sound nins you're affiliated with. Do you think we've never lost our loved ones? That, just because your parents and your clan were killed, 'no one understands you'? Do you know that I'm the only one left in my clan, as well?"

Surprised silence met her words.

"You said you couldn't get stronger by staying in Konoha, but how much stronger have you gotten with Orochimaru if _I_ can match your strengths?" she snarled, throwing her fist towards the ground, splitting the earth yet again. "So, does being used by Orochimaru make you stronger? Better than us? Would giving up everything you care for to kill Itachi make you _happy_?"

"Shut up," Sasuke retorted coldly, sheathing his sword and performing the handseals for an old jutsu he'd known ever since he was young.

"Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu!" (1)

Sakura could feel the heat waves engulfing her slender frame as she impulsively performed several handseals for a technique she had never learnt, or heard of, in her life.

"Suiton: Mizu Kabe!" (2)

A wall of cascading water materialized before her. The fireball dissolved into smoke and ashes as the water quenched its flames.

Sakura glanced at her own hands in surprise. Suiton? Since when had she been able to use water-based techniques?

"How did she do that?" Even Kakashi couldn't stifle a gasp. "She just created a technique without the elemental basis!"

"Kekkai genkai," (3) Naruto grinned, seeing Sasuke's unemotional façade finally cracking – just a little. "You have a lot to catch up on, Kaka-sensei…"

Sasuke and Sakura found themselves staring at each other intensely, unfathomable silence and tension hung in the air. Emerald eyes locked with onyx ones without any sense of time or surroundings.

"Don't waste your time," Sasuke spoke, suddenly and sharply. "You know that I will never give up on killing Itachi,"

"I didn't give up on you for five years," Sakura replied softly. "What makes you think that I'll give up now?"

"Then I'll make you,"

His famed Chidori glowed within his right hand. Usually, the mere sight of it was enough to unnerve an opponent, but the cherry blossom did not budge. The electricity could be felt in the air thrust forward at Sakura.

Still, she did not move.

"Sakura! Don't be an idiot!" Kakashi called out. He, of all people, knew the destructive power of the Chidori. "He'll kill you!"

N

_**(That night, in Konoha)**_

Tsunade stood by the window, deeply inhaling the sweet scent of the outside air. Night had fallen, and the street lamps had been lighted, looking solitary and deserted compared to the warm glow coming from the nearby house windows.

She was worried, she couldn't deny that. For the past few days, she'd been snapping at everyone around her; her paperwork piled on as she paid no attention to them. Poor Shizune had to deal with all the Hokage's work as well as her own, and despite her constant stern warnings to the Godaime, Tsunade was past caring about these 'trivial' matters like paperwork.

The Fifth sank back into her chair and swiveled it to face the window. She wouldn't have been so worried if Sai had continued sending his reports back to her, but nothing had arrived from him for more than a week.

'_What if something happened to them – to **Sakura**?'_ her mind whispered slyly. Tsunade quickly shoved the thought out.

Just then, the Hokage's eyes caught sight of a faint silhouette against the bright, round moon, and stood up so abruptly her chair toppled.

Could it be…?

The silhouette soon became clearer as it drew closer, diving steeply downwards towards Tsunade's office window. It was a falcon, Sai's fastest flying inked animal.

The black falcon perched atop Tsunade's hand, pecking at her fingers. Usually she would be annoyed at this gesture, but this time she shakily placed the bird on her cluttered desk, and quickly flipped open and empty scroll. Forming several handseals, Tsunade watched as the falcon dissolved, and words began appearing on the surface of the scroll Sai had given her.

Impatiently, the Godaime Hokage snatched it up and began to read the message.

N

"Shizune!" Tsunade called out sharply, slamming the scroll on her table.

"Hai, Hokage-sama?" her assistant appeared.

"Get Jiraya in my office. Now."

"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune reprimanded her with a sigh. "It's _three_ in the morning!"

But this time, the Hokage was adamant.

"Check the pubs. See if he's at home. Drag him out of bed and splash water on his face if you have to," Tsunade said with a measured level of calm. "Just tell him that he'll be _very_ sorry tomorrow if he doesn't get his pathetic butt in here _now_,"

"Geez, stop harassing your assistant, Tsunade," a voice sounded from beyond the office door. "I'm here already," The white-haired man entered. "I could hear your voice right down the street… I was planning to drop by, anyway,"

"You? At three in the morning?" his childhood teammate retorted.

"Hey, _you_ were the one who wanted to drag me out of bed at this time," he said defensively. "And besides, I thought you'd be drunk… you're a lot easier to deal with when you're not sober…" Jiraya shrugged nonchalantly. "So, what is it that's so urgent, Hokage? And if it's _that_ urgent, why are you talking to me instead of the elders?"

Without being invited, the Sannin settled into a chair opposite Tsunade. Shizune thankfully disappeared out of the office and closed the door.

"Personal matters. I don't want the old geezers poking their noses around and 'advising' me on 'what is best for Konoha'… treating me like a _darned_ five-year-old," Tsunade said evenly.

Jiraya laughed. "You finally agree with me that the advice those old geezers give are stupid, huh?"

She didn't reply. Taking the scroll on her desk, she passed it to him. "Read it,"

"Another message from that ANBU Root brat?" Jiraya raised an eyebrow as he took the scroll from Tsunade.

"He has a _name_, you moron," Tsunade shot back scathingly.

He did not reply as his eyes scanned the scroll, and his neutral expression changed into one of concern. "How…"

'_Hokage-sama:_

_I apologize for not writing sooner, but much has happened since my last message. I have to make his quick for Kabuto and his Sound nins are attacking my teammates. Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi-sensei are confronting Sasuke, and it would seem that Sakura has insisted that she fight Sasuke alone. But don't worry; she's got her kekkai genkai and the strength of the Nanabi to rely on._

_But one thing that I must warn you about – is that I sense that Danzou, the leader of my ANBU division, is getting restless. He has been trying to contact me, even though I have not given him any correspondence yet. I have a feeling that he may try to start a coup to overthrow the Hokage again. Please watch him carefully._

_I must go now. And Tsunade-sama – please put your faith in Sakura. She will survive._

_Sai'_

Jiraya rolled up the scroll and placed it on the Hokage's table. He sat in silence.

"Since when did the Harunos have a bloodline limit?" he asked suddenly, looking up at Tsunade.

"Don't you remember _anything_ from the time when we studied the history of the clans in Konoha?" the Fifth asked exasperatedly, glaring at her childhood teammate.

The Toad Sannin shrugged. "Hey, _you_ were the smart one,"

Tsunade sighed. "Not all of them had the kekkai genkai… Sakura's grandfather was one of the special ones – remember him?"

Jiraya scrunched up his face, trying to remember. "The old geezer who owned the weapons shop and always gave us treats when we went to buy stuff?"

Tsunade nodded. "He had this uncanny ability to manipulate elements as he liked… but the Harunos were wiped off the history books once her grandfather, the last known one with the ability, died," a look of guilt crossed the Hokage's face. "I forgot to tell Sakura that,"

Silence.

"So, Hatake found the Uchiha and alerted them?" Jiraya spoke quietly.

Tsunade nodded, looking distracted. "I shouldn't have told him to summon them. I mean – what if they aren't good enough to match him? Now that Kabuto's there, Orochimaru might even show up, and Sakura – she – I can't even imagine it!" the usually collected Godaime Hokage let out all her pent up frustrations in one breath.

"Tsunade," Jiraya said quietly, his tone commanding. She looked up at him, her face lined with worry. "That Sai brat is right. Put your faith in Sakura, she's a survivor. She's grown to be like you, in many ways… minus the gambling and sake problem…"

Silence.

"You've got to let her go, Tsunade… she's grown up, she's got to face things on her own – and you, of all people, know that she's perfectly capable of it,"

His childhood teammate did not reply, but Jiraya continued with a small smile.

"After all, she's got Naruto. He hasn't ever let me down yet. You've got to trust those two,"

N

_(With the shinobis, early that morning)_

Neji and Lee leapt at Kabuto while Tenten veered her dragons away and let them dissolve.

The bespectacled medic nin leapt backwards, swinging over a branch to avoid being pummeled by the two shinobis, but received two kunais lodged in his upper left thigh from Tenten.

Cursing, he pulled the kunais up dodged Lee's spinning kick before going forward several paces to tackle Neji.

Despite Team Gai's perfectly executed triangle-attack formation, Kabuto was smiling as he dodged and countered them, always within reach but never touchable.

"Orochimaru was extremely angry when you made off with the scrolls before him," the silver-haired man said lightly as he caught Tenten's fist and sent her whirling back.

"Would we care?" Neji said emotionlessly, aiming for a point on Kabuto's back that would immobilize him, but again Kabuto dodged, his mocking smile irritating the Hyuuga prodigy.

"Well, since you guys took it… I was wondering if there was any chance of getting it back…"the medic ninja said nonchalantly, shrugging.

"Of course not!" Lee said indignantly, his blow connecting with Kabuto's right cheek, sending him stumbling back.

"Even if we wanted to, we wouldn't be able to," Tenten said quietly, throwing smoke bombs to create a cover for Neji.

Kabuto eyed his surroundings warily, the smoke blinding his line of view. The three shinobis were moving too quietly to be detected, and for that moment, he was defenseless.

"Was Sasuke there when Orochimaru was trying to get the scrolls?" Tenten's voice came quietly again, echoing softly and somewhat eerily in the misty surroundings.

Kabuto snickered. "Why so interested? Don't tell me you're falling for the Uchiha, like that pathetic Haruno…"

Two blows, one from a furious Hyuuga, and another from the weapons mistress insulted on her friend's behalf, hit him on both his chest and back simultaneously, with full force.

Kabuto felt the pain, suddenly and painfully jolting him, then he only felt numbness. A rush of warm liquid rushed up his throat and nearly choked him, and he spat blood, collapsing onto his knees. However, for some reason, he remained smiling through his pain, speaking while coughing up even more blood.

"Of course – Sasuke-kun wasn't there… Orochimaru's – _afraid_ – of him…"

Team Gai glanced at each other.

Neji grabbed Kabuto by the collar by the collar roughly. "Spill. Whatever you know. And I'll know if you're lying," he motioned to his activated Byakugan.

"Then I'll be better off not telling you anything," Kabuto smirked, coughing up another round of blood. But that was enough. From that one sentence alone, Neji ad been told what he wanted to know. Orochimaru was weakening, Otogakure was crumbling, and Kabuto was no longer loyal.

"Let's go," the Hyuuga prodigy motioned to his teammates, dragging Kabuto along in his wake.

N

Team Gai found their friends still fighting the Sound nins ferociously, and noted that the opponents' numbers were increasing rapidly. Gaara was having the least trouble, one glare from him sent sand enveloping the enemy by the dozen.

Tenten put two fingers between her lips and let out a high-pitched whistle.

The fighting stopped almost immediately, and everyone fell silent, looking up at their sudden intruders.

Neji held up the medic nin, flinging him towards the sound ninjas. "Take him," the opaque-eyed boy spat. "And leave. _Now_."

There was something about his tone of voice that warned them not to disobey, and soon they were gone without a trace, as suddenly as they had appeared.

The shinobis regrouped, not exchanging a word, and headed to wards the clearing where their teammates were battling the Uchiha.

N

Naruto felt like panicking. What the hell was up with her? Sakura should know better than that… but it was simply too late to help her now, whatever crazy idea she might have in mind.

The cherry blossom's face remained impassive in the face of danger, her feet blatantly refused to move an inch. Her arm seemed to be tingling inexplicably, but she hardly noticed. She couldn't define the emotions she was feeling as the onyx-eyed boy got dangerously close to her, his icy black stare chilling her.

Sakura closed her eyes, Kakashi and Naruto watched with bated breaths, somehow knowing that their female teammate would survive.

Her next move was entirely unexpected, even for the cherry blossom herself, and was executed only when Sasuke was mere inches away. Her right arm drew back, as if preparing to catch the ball of electricity.

Yet another blinding flash of light engulfed the clearing, while Naruto inhaled sharply as he watched the battle.

Sakura was countering Sasuke's Chidori – with her own.

N

_YES!!! Finished! On a cliff, too! (is that a cliff?) Hope you guys liked it! Aah… I didn't let you guys down on my promise of an update this week after all…_

_Jutsus in this chapter:_

_(1) **Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu** – Fire: Grand Fireball_

_(2) **Suiton: Mizu Kabe – Water**: Water Wall (I invented this one)_

_That's about it, I guess… like I mentioned in the last chapter, I will probably be updating once a month or more, or less. It depends. But my studies take priority, you understand, right? Please just bear with me and I REALLY hope you guys won't forget this story! And me! I won't forget all the wonderful reviews I've received…_

_I haven't named the next chapter (it's still in progress) so, no 'next chapter' this time._

_Happy New Year and best wishes to all of you! Don't forget me and this story!_

_Ja!_

_-Raven Ariana- _


	17. Chapter 16: Climax

_Wow! Has it been a month yet? (checks) No! So I updated in less than a month! I'm so happy with this story… and I'm happy that you guys liked it, as well!_

_This chapter is dedicated to **AmazinGSensatiOn **for being the 300th reviewer – you reviewed twice just to hit 300, didn't you? Hehe…._

_I won't delay you guys anymore, so here's the next chapter: Climax of the battle!_

N

Chapter 16 – Climax 

Naruto chanced a glance at Kakashi, and for once in his life, he saw the Jounin _frozen_ in total shock as he watched the battle taking an unexpected turn.

The electrical sparks of the Chidori was nearly too blinding to watch, but not one of the fascinated spectators could turn away from the scene. Sakura and Sasuke… _both_ using Chidori against each other… was not exactly an ordinary sight.

After ensuring that Kabuto was not about to turn back for another attack on them anytime soon, the rest of the weary team joined Naruto and Kakashi at their post in the shelter of the trees, but not a word was exchanged.

Gaara watched, standing apart from the group with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed. Sai crouched next to the Kazekage, his expression unreadable.

Meanwhile, the duo engaged in battle were completely unaware of 0f their surroundings, pools of emerald and onyx stared intensely at each other, never wavering, never breaking contact.

"You… _how_…" Sasuke broke the silence with a hiss, sparing a quick glance at his Chidori, which was evenly matched by hers. Had Kakashi taught her Chidori as well? But then again, how could _she_ have mastered it?

"Honestly, I don't know," Sakura said quietly, almost sarcastically. At that very same moment, both shinobis discharged their Chidori and leapt out of the way swiftly, barely escaping the electrical explosion several seconds later.

Without hesitating, Sasuke started on the offense again, using numerous weapons to accentuate his attacks on Sakura. His opponent was badly bruised, but her wounds healed as soon as they were inflicted.

'_Damn… for her to be a medic nin, of all things…'_ Sasuke cursed inwardly as another deep slash wound on her arm healed without a trace.

The cherry blossom swung over a branch to avoid a kunai while taking the opportunity to execute a jutsu Tsunade had taught her just recently. Feeling about another dozen shurikens grazing her arms and drawing blood, Sakura swore under her breath and quickly performed her handseals, ignoring the bleeding gashes.

"Chuusuusei Biribiri!" (1) she landed, hitting a point on Sasuke's neck.

Sasuke, however, had activated his Sharingan at the last moment, enabling him to veer sideways slightly so that Sakura could not hit the point directly. The jutsu, supposed to disorientate its victim's movements, totally immobilized him instead.

'_So hitting slightly to the left immobilizes the person… I have to remember that…'_ Sakura made a mental note to tell Tsunade.

She stood from her landing position, facing Sasuke. Her face remained emotionless.

"You activated the Sharingan," she said in a flat tone. "While fighting me,"

"So?" Sasuke shot back scathingly. "It doesn't mean that I will go back to Konoha quietly and give up on killing Itachi,"

"When will you ever understand, Sasuke?" Sakura's voice rose slightly. "We're not asking you to give up your revenge – we simply want you to come home with us," the tone of her voice lowered until they could barely hear it. He did not reply.

"Itachi might have killed your clan, but he's still your brother,"

"Don't you _dare_ speak of him as my brother," Sasuke snarled back in response.

Sakura continued, not heeding him.

"He might have betrayed Konoha and joined Akatsuki, but you know he still views you as his brother," Sakura took a step closer to him. "Itachi kills anyone who gets in his way – but he never did touch you, or hurt you seriously - considering all the opportunities he had,"

"Itachi thinks of me as someone not worth killing because I am _weak_," Sasuke growled, trying to sort out his emotions while straining to break free of Sakura's jutsu. _'Damn that girl! Why does she have this effect on me?'_

Sakura laughed. It was a short, bitter laugh, almost scornful.

"Do you really believe that's true? That you're '_weaker'_ and more _'not worth killing'_ than all the younger ones in your clan? It there's _one_ thing you don't understand, Sasuke, its human nature. Your brother – he still harbours some connection to you, whatever he claims. And it's because of that that he's trying to make you hate him, to sever that connection. He can't kill you because you meant the world to him back then, because you were the only one _there_ for him, who saw everything that he went through, things that even his best friend didn't know,"

All was quiet around them. Even though sunlight was streaming through the forest canopy, no animals or birds could be seen or heard. It was as if the entire world had stopped to watch and listen.

"Being betrayed by a sibling is painful, isn't it?" Sakura asked quietly. "It feels like your heart has been ripped out… like you can never truly _live_ again,"

"What would you know?" Sasuke spat bitterly.

"I know a lot more than _you_ do, Sasuke," the cherry blossom said softly. "Maybe Kakashi-sensei and Naruto wouldn't understand what you felt because they never had siblings, but you're wrong if you think _I_ don't know how it feels,"

Confusion was evident in Sasuke's onyx eyes, but as he opened his mouth to speak, Sakura cut in, with a sudden question in a soft, hesitant voice.

"Do you – remember my brother, Sasuke?"

N

Kakashi and Naruto exchanged confused glances. Sakura had a brother? Was she lying, trying to coax the Uchiha? Naruto cast Neji a glance for confirmation. The Hyuuga prodigy shook his head.

So it was true. Sakura had a brother, and her own team members had never known. It was apparent that the rest of the girls knew, because they were the only ones not looking confused.

"You saved my brother from being crushed by a wagon, eleven years ago,"

Sakura spoke softly, haltingly, affected by the memory.

"You still smiled back then…"

As her voice echoed into the silence, Sasuke found the memory slowly returning to him. That little boy… with brown eyes and jet black hair – grinning widely up at him, thanking him for saving his life.

"Yuki died. A year later. He kept smiling while he was sick; trying to reassure me and my family that he was okay. But it made me feel worse. Like – like I was _guilty_ for his death," she whispered the last sentence. "I – couldn't do _anything_ to help him…'

Silence met her words.

"Was that how you felt, Sasuke?" she asked, her emerald eyes staring at him blankly. "Like you were the guilty one? You still have a brother… I have no one left,"

The cherry blossom was lost in thought, completely unaware of her surroundings.

"Whatever you say, Sasuke… blood is still thicker than water…"

By this time, she was only a foot away from him.

Sakura opened her mouth to speak again, but all that escaped her lips was a soft exclamation of surprise as she felt a sudden, jolting pain through her abdomen and shuddered, crumpling to the ground. She clutched her abdomen, feeling the warm blood trickling through her fingers.

The jutsu had worn off. Sasuke, hardly registering his own actions, had pulled out his katana, sparking with electricity, and drove it straight through his childhood teammate.

The pink-haired kunoichi slumped against a tree, numbness flooding her body. Everyone watched in stricken horror – Sakura was not healing herself.

Slowly, she tilted her head upwards to meet his icy, onyx stare, but much to everyone's surprise, she was smiling softly, looking resigned.

"I've got nothing more to say… so kill me,"

N

"Don't you _dare_, teme,"

Just as the raven-haired boy lifted his sword to strike, a sharp voice rang out, and two figures leapt before him, blocking his path.

Naruto and Kakashi faced him squarely, despite the latter's wounds being barely healed. The Jounin winced as he felt a freshly-healed wound split open again, but he didn't have time to care.

Sasuke let out a low laugh. "See, Sakura? You always have to be protected…"

Sakura did not open her eyes, holding back the tears that threatened to spill. In the end… after all that she had gone through… she was still what Sasuke termed as 'weak'.

"That's not true, Uchiha," a sudden, quiet voice broke the tense silence as a certain opaque-eyed Hyuuga heir stepped out from behind the trees, slowly walking towards her friend. "Sakura-chan doesn't need to be protected… she'd be willing die if it would bring you back to Konoha… but it seems that you haven't changed – and we're not going to let her die in vain,"

Glaring at him in a way Hinata had never known she was capable of, the normally shy girl knelt beside her pink-haired friend, shaking her gently. Through her blurred eyes, Sakura glanced at Hinata.

"I can't heal this alone, Sakura-chan… you have to help," Hinata indicated towards Sakura's bleeding abdomen. She could tell that the kunoichi was getting dizzy from the blood loss and was not registering her words, from the way her emerald eyes were blank and unfocused. Immediately Hinata motioned Ino over, looking grim.

"We've got to heal her,"

N

Sakura felt herself sinking in the darkness of blissful ignorance as her world spun around her in an endless vortex. She could hear someone speaking, but she lacked the willpower to actually listen. Only Sasuke's last words echoed in her subconscious.

"_You always have to be protected…"_

The cut in her heart had just grown deeper.

N

"So now you'd even kill Sakura-chan?" Naruto demanded furiously, fists clenched as his blue eyes blazed.

"I thought you had more honour than that, Sasuke," Kakashi spoke quietly but firmly, in the tone that he had used on them when they were genin.

"She asked for it, didn't she?" the Uchiha said simply.

"Sakura was just _testing_ you, you moron!" Naruto growled, seething with fury.

"Putting her life on the line to _test_ me?" Sasuke asked dryly, fingering his bloodied blade. "Who'd be such an… idiot?"

"She did it because she _cares_, teme!" This time, the blond boy yelled. "All of us do! And in the end, all _you_ ever think about is your stupid revenge!"

"So why don't you annoying idiots just leave me alone and get on with your pathetic little lives, Naruto? Why waste time on me?" Sasuke replied coldly. "When will you ever learn that _I_ don't care, even if you do?"

Naruto let out a deafening roar as he leapt at the Uchiha and tackled him to the ground, despite receiving numerous slashes on various parts of his body, seemingly not feeling the pain. Hinata gasped.

"I'm gonna _kill_ you, you hear me? I'm gonna kill you – and rip you to pieces!"

A dangerous reddish-gold aura was enveloping Naruto as he grappled with Sasuke on the mossy forest ground. One of the Kyuubi's tails lashed out fiercely, bringing down several trees.

Kakashi started in mixed horror and surprise, taking a step forward in a move to stop more of the Kyuubi's tails from appearing, but he collapsed even before he took his second step.

Immediately Ino was beside him, dragging the senior Jounin back into safe territory. "Don't move," she commanded firmly. "You're totally chakra depleted,"

"The… Kyuubi…" Kakashi whispered. Naruto was now sporting a second tail. Before them, Sasuke was transforming as well, his curse seal spreading like wildfire all over his body as he rolled out from under Naruto.

Ino gasped in horror, exchanging glances with Hinata. The Hyuuga heir, however, was more concerned about the fact that Sakura's body was repelling her healing chakra, refusing to be healed. _'Sakura-chan…'_

Sasuke's handsome face was becoming distorted, black marks crawling over it and changing his facial features, twisting it into a horrifying mask that rendered him entirely unrecognizable, apart from his mop of chicken hair.

His body had also transformed into the same twisted deformity, growing slightly larger and taller than he originally was. The marks of the curse seal were etched into his pale skin, all over his body, while his eyes retained the blood red shade of the Uchiha Sharingan, with its three commas.

"He's activated his curse seal at level 2," Neji said quietly, unable to pry his eyes away from the battle. Shikamaru was frowning, obviously worried, while Lee was staring, wide eyed, at the battle. Akamaru was shaking inside Kiba's jacket, while Kiba himself looked shaken. Tenten had already joined Ino and Hinata.

The two beasts, once teammates, snarled and growled at each other, yellowish cat-like eyes meeting blood red ones. Without hesitation, they leapt towards each other, aiming for the kill.

N

The battle was almost too confusing to watch. One moment the two boys were attacking each other with weapons, and another moment later, they were throwing punches and dodging kicks.

No words were spoken; the intensity in which they were glaring at each other said it all. Swirls of Naruto's red-gold chakra danced around him his fourth tail appeared. The fifth tail was forming.

Sasuke seemed to be unaffected by the Kyuubi's dangerous chakra, even as his fist made contact with Naruto's face. But he had taken his share of beating, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and his body was bruised all over.

Naruto was covered in his own blood, but his mind was elsewhere as he rampaged on, tearing the trees apart in an attempt to trap Sasuke. His fifth tail was now fully formed, lashing out dangerously close to the group of shinobis behind the trees, who leapt backwards in alarm.

"Oh no," Shikamaru groaned. "This is bad…"

N

'_Hey!'_ Sakura heard the Nanabi's voice, rudely jolting out of her blissful darkness. _'Get up and heal yourself right **now**!'_

'_Uhh…'_ Sakura groaned. _'I thought you'd heal me…'_

'_You said this was your fight, right? I'm not going to help you…'_

'_Then just leave me alone…'_

'_You **promised** Naruto that you'd bring Sasuke back together with him,'_ the Nanabi chided sternly. _'And now you're leaving the job to him just because you got stabbed in the abdomen?'_

'_I… promised?'_ Sakura asked groggily, still not fully conscious.

'_Two years ago. You promised. I saw it in your mind,'_ the seven-tailed demon phoenix told her quietly. _'Hinata and Ino are trying to heal you, but you're resisting it,'_

'_Huh…'_

'_Sakura! Open your eyes and **see** what's happening between your teammates! **NOW**!'_

Whether if it was out of surprise, or fear, the cherry blossom obeyed.

The moment she caught sight of Naruto, consumed by the Kyuubi and performing the Rasengan; and Sasuke, with his curse seal activated, and his Chidori in his right hand, she bolted upright.

Hinata, Ino and Tenten nearly shrieked when Sakura jumped up suddenly, the gaping wound on her abdomen only partly healed by her own chakra.

Before any of them registered what was happening, Sakura was standing in the path of the two boys charging at each other, emerald eyes flashing dangerously as her deafening yell resounded in the clearing

"STOP IT! **BOTH** OF YOU!"

N

_Another cliff! Was it a cliff? I dunno… anyway, how was it? Tell me! One jutsu used:_

_(1)**Chuusuusei Biribiri**- it's a jutsu originally used by Tsunade. (I'm not sure whether if I got the excecution part of the jutsu right.) Anyway, the user sends an electrical charge through the opponent's system, disorientating their movements. (Particularly effective of you want to make your opponent do the cancan. )_

_So… I guess that's it… wait another month, okay? Ciaoz!_

_Review!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	18. Chapter 17: Defeat

_Oops… it's been more than a month, hasn't it? Sorry… First, thank you all for the wonderful, reviews! I'm really pleased at the response to my last chapter! _

_I've just read chapter 342 of the Naruto manga, and I just remembered Asuma's death… Kurenai has a baby? I didn't know! That was so sweet… but I just want to tell you guys that Asuma is not dead in this story, he's still alive – and you'll see him sometime later. Hope all Asuma fans out there are happy with this!_

_On with the story!_

N

Chapter 17- Defeat

十七- 败

Sakura's outstretched hands caught each boy firmly by the collar, halting them in their tracks. For some reason, they had dissolved the Rasengan and the Chidori simultaneously, as if reluctant to hurt her.

Kakashi, looking pale and tired, smiled sadly under his mask as he felt the familiarity of the scene from so long ago, save for the fact that this time; Sakura was stopping the boys herself. She had grown, after all.

The cherry blossom was looking none too pleased as she held them by their collars, trying to ignore the painful throbbing in her abdomen. The Nanabi's golden chakra enveloped her right hand, protecting her from the Kyuubi's chakra.

The boys remained glaring at each other intensely.

Sakura clenched her jaw. "I said stop it. _Now_."

The Kyuubi's tails were disappearing, Naruto's eyes were loosing their cat-like appearance and his chakra presence was returning to normal. Sakura inwardly sighed in relief when her friend's blue eyes looked at her almost curiously, as if confused.

Opposite Naruto, Sasuke was also slowly returning to his original form as his curse seal receded and his features smoothened out. The Uchiha retained his emotionless expression, watching the pink-haired kunoichi.

Sakura released them turning towards Naruto, towering over him with her hands on her hips. With one swift punch, she sent the utterly clueless boy flying backwards and crashing into the trees.

"You _baka_! You promised Captain Yamato that when you went to get that moron back, you'd do it with your own eyes, not the Kyuubi's!"

Sasuke bit back an exclamation. Sakura had just called him a…

Moron?

The furious pink-haired girl was now facing him. Sasuke glared back at the burning emerald eyes, bracing himself for some sort of verbal or physical onslaught.

Sakura continued glaring at him for a few moments, and then her face switched to an unemotional façade. She raised her right hand.

Seconds later, a stinging slap grazed his left cheek.

N

The onyx-eyed boy glanced at the cherry blossom in disbelief. Now, she was looking angry.

"Wake up, Sasuke, and grow up!"

Onyx eyes stared into flashing emerald ones as Sakura's words echoed through the silent clearing.

"Do you really think that revenge is always the only way out? Would having Itachi dead really make you ha-"

"I don't want to be _happy_," Sasuke cut in, a hint of anger in his voice as he crossed his arms. "So stop trying to act like you know what I went through!"

He could still feel the sting of her slap on his cheek. _'The nerve of that girl…'_

"Tell me, Sasuke," Sakura asked quietly after a moment of silence. She faced him, while her eyes still blazed, ignoring the throbbing pain in her abdomen and the blood seeping through her fingers as her hand clutched her stomach. "Do you actually understand what 'being strong' means?"

In the background, Neji, Shikamaru and Kakashi exchanged glances. This was getting interesting, even by their standards – mainly because the question Sakura had just asked Sasuke was the last question each potential Jounin was asked at the end of the exam. Not that any of their teammates knew.

"It means not needing you idiots following me every step of the way and being able to kill Itachi _alone_," Sasuke growled back at her, losing his patience.

Sakura nearly laughed, feeling the bitterness well up within her.

"So that's your pathetic understanding of the term 'being strong'?" she asked in scorn. "Being able to stand alone? Not needing the help of others?"

Silence.

"Well, you're wrong, Sasuke. _Dead_ wrong," Sakura snarled. "The true meaning of being strong-" she leaned in closer towards him, so that her face was mere inches away from him, and her startling emerald eyes were staring into his.

"-is to be able to protect people. To have the willpower to be loyal to your comrades, to be able to love, and to care. To be able to trust, and to know when to let down your pride and admit defeat."

Sasuke stared back defiantly at Sakura. The pink-haired girl continued.

"By that measure… you're the weakest here," she ended in a whisper.

Kakashi spoke in a low tone to Neji and Shikamaru. "If this was the Jounin exam… I'd be giving her a hundred percent pass for _that_ answer,"

Sasuke still looked passive. "Love is a weakness," he said, his tone cold.

"Yes," Sakura agreed softly, drawing back to her full height. "Love is a weakness, but hidden strength lies behind this particular weakness,"

Everything felt so silent, the cherry blossom continued staring at the raven-haired boy, almost lost in her own world of thought. She spoke again, suddenly looking sad.

"And not being able to love… is your greatest weakness,"

N

"Shizune!" Tsunade called from her office, frowning slightly as she crossed her legs and placed her hands on her desk. The raven-haired assistant hurried in straight from her work, carrying Tsunade's pet pig, Tonton, in her arms. Shizune looked rather hassled, glancing back at her overloaded desk as she approached the Godaime Hokage. Man, how she wish Sakura were here to handle all that work, as well.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama?"

Tonton leapt out of Shizune's arms and pattered over to its master. Picking the tiny pink animal up, the Godaime looked at her assistant expectantly, knowing that some people were waiting to see her outside.

"Kurenai-san and Genma-san are here to see you, Tsunade-sama," Shizune said quietly, stepping aside.

"Come in," Tsunade ordered, leaning back in her chair while stroking Tonton's head.

The two Jounins entered and bowed to the Fifth. Tsunade gave a slight nod of acknowledgement before indicating to Shizune to close the doors and seal the room.

She obliged.

"Any news of Danzou yet?" Tsunade questioned, once satisfied that no one would be able to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Nothing suspicious, as far as we've seen, Hokage-sama," Kurenai reported, her face looking tired while her crimson eyes shut for a few moments. "Iruka is still keeping watch."

"He's been holed up in his mansion for ages," Genma reported, hands in his pockets. "We just see his servants going in and out for daily matters, and occasionally he walks out into the main courtyard – that's about it,"

Behind Tsunade, Shizune started in surprise, but no one noticed.

"Any suspicious visitors?" the Hokage asked.

"Well, so far everything looks pretty nor-" Genma began, but was quickly cut off by Kurenai.

"No. I saw two hooded men entering Danzou's residence by the side door. Yesterday night," the raven-haired kunoichi reported grimly. "I was pretty sure they weren't from Konoha, but I wanted to await your green light to confront them,"

"I haven't issued any tourist passes lately," Tsunade said curtly. "So they're intruders," the Fifth's eyes narrowed. "It's noon. They might still be around. Iruka's watching right now, right?"

"Yes," Genma nodded.

"Both of you confront the two intruders once you see them anywhere. Bring them to me immediately. But send Iruka to get backup first, we don't know how strong they may be. Got me?"

Both Jounins nodded and prepared to exit, but Shizune suddenly cried out.

"Wait!"

Three pairs of eyes turned to look at her in surprise.

"Please wait, Tsunade-sama!" she pleaded, before turning to Genma. "You say that he didn't leave his house?" she questioned.

"Uh… yeah," Genma replied, curious.

"That's… impossible," Shizune stated, turning to face Tsunade. "Because I _saw_ him on the street yesterday, when I went out to get more sake for Tsunade-sama,"

"You saw him?" Kurenai asked, startled. "Are you sure?"

"Perfectly sure," Shizune nodded. "At first, I thought it was nothing – after all, it was just a man walking down a street and it happened to be Danzou. But _something_ made me turn back and take a look. Maybe it was because he looked so hurried, and the street was quiet… he walked into a pub called the 'Sakeya',"

"That pub shut down three months ago," Tsunade cut in.

"I forgot about that…" Shizune trailed off. "But then I realized where he had _come_ from,"

She paused, taking a breath.

"He came out from an abandoned building – you know, the barred up old shop further up the street from Sakeya?" she asked.

"The faded red one? The one that used to sell weapons?" Genma asked.

"Yes, that one," Shizune nodded. "I found the door unlocked, so I walked in. The inside was nothing suspicious, just an abandoned shop full of dust, but the shelves on the far end of the wall had been shifted, and there was a passageway at the far end that seemed to go on. I didn't go any further,"

Tsunade glanced at Genma and Kurenai. "So the question now is: why was Danzou walking out of one abandoned building and into another?"

The room was silent.

"Get backup and investigate immediately. Send someone to watch Danzou's residence. Check where the passage Shizune mentioned leads to, and find out what was going on in the Sakeya. Watch, but do not attack. Not until you have my signal. You are to be dressed as ANBU, and this is an official A-rank mission. Kurenai, you're in charge. Choose your team and report back if anything is found. All clear?" the Godaime Hokage instructed firmly, standing up.

"Yes," both Jounins bowed.

"Shizune," Tsunade said sharply. Her assistant lifted the seal on the room. The Hokage turned back to the Jounins. "Now go,"

Kurenai and Genma nodded, and disappeared.

N

Sasuke had never known that silence could be so deafening. There she was, that pink-haired girl standing right in front of him. The one person who had, somehow, begun to matter so much to him.

The raven-haired boy would never admit it, but her words had affected him. And right now, he was angry.

"Since 'not knowing how to love' is my greatest weakness, why do both of you absolute idiots keep coming back?" he demanded, his voice rising in a crescendo. "Why do you, Sakura, still love me even though you know I won't love you back? And you, dobe – why treat me as a brother when you know that in the end, one of us will die at the hands of the other?"

His sudden outburst surprised them, and no one spoke for several moments.

"Because you once showed us that you were capable of caring, that's why," Sakura replied softly. "We won't ever give up on you, even if it means following you to the ends of the earth or losing our lives in the process,"

"Even if you killed me, I'd still die treating you as my brother," Naruto added grimly. "So are you coming, teme, or am I going to have to drag you all the way back to Konoha?"

The Uchiha glared at his former teammate.

"Leave. Now. All of you,"

Sakura eyes Sasuke curiously, and a moment later, her face was set in determination.

"We told you, Sasuke, we're not leaving without you. Not this time,"

Sasuke found himself surprised at Sakura's tone of voice, but then his surprise switched to anger. _'Dammit… I don't need this right now… she's just confusing me…'_

'_Who's 'confusing' you?'_ a voice sounded from the back of his head_. 'You know you want to leave that idiotic snake bastard and go back with them…'_

"Just shut up," Sasuke subconsciously spoke out loud. Realizing his mistake, his expression hardened. "When will the two of you give up? And when will you learn that no matter what, I can't turn back?!"

"Why, then?" Naruto demanded angrily. "Why can't you see that selling your soul to Orochimaru isn't going to help you kill Itachi? That revenge isn't the only thing in the world? That we _care too much_ to let you sink into darkness?"

"Because _I don't deserve it,_ you moron!" Sasuke yelled back at his friend. "I'm not worth your time or your tears! So just stop pursuing me and get on with your lives already!"

Only the sounds of the two boys panting could be heard now, as they glared at each other with a mixture of hate and regret.

Sakura took a step towards Sasuke, but crumpled onto the ground as her sudden movement reopened her semi-healed abdomen wound.

The girl just sat there, clutching her stomach and biting back the pain. She stared at the ground, pink locks shielding her face from view. Unbeknownst to any of those watching, tears glistened in her emerald eyes.

"It's simple, really… we've just come too far to 'leave you alone' and 'get on with our lives',"

N

The three teammates just stayed where they were, still and silent, not knowing what to say, or to do. Sakura struggled to summon enough chakra to heal her wound, but she was suppressing the Nanabi's chakra and did not have enough of her own left for healing.

Sasuke was staring into blank space, his thoughts a muddled jumble. What was he feeling? Was it pain, or relief? He couldn't tell.

And then he suddenly felt a jab to his lower back, and his body went limp. He lay on the ground, feeling inexplicably numbed. Somewhere to his left, Naruto and Tenten were helping Sakura stand, and when he looked up, Hyuuga Neji was staring down at him, looking passive.

"You're coming with us, Uchiha, whether you like it – or not."

N

_Phew! Finally, chapter 17 done! YES! I don't think there's much to explain about this chapter…. So I guess that's about it! I might update in two weeks' time… the emphasis being 'might'. Please be patient!_

_Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews, and tell me what you think this time!_

_And Happy belated Chinese New Year to all those who celebrate it!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	19. Chapter 18: Hyuuga Bunke Juinjutsu

_Heh… eighteenth chapter finally up… 407 reviews?!!! I can't believe it!!! Thanks to everyone who has been reading this story, seriously!!! I appreciate all your comments._

_This particular chapter will be dedicated to **kk47** for being the 400th reviewer – you got that because you forgot to add something after your particularly long (and great critique, by the way, thanks a lot) review so congrats! I really wanted to PM you to tell you, but you disabled it… oh well… you read my review reply, right? _

_As for all of you, I hope that this chapter will make you satisfied, I'm not sure if it's that good… but there's going to be another new character here, so watch out for him!_

_On with the story!_

N

Chapter 18 – Hyuuga Bunke Juinjutsu

十八 – 日向 之咒 印

Kakashi surveyed the camp scene while resting beneath a large tree, his visible eye reflecting the firelight some distance away. Sakura had healed him some time after the battle, but he had exhausted his chakra using the Sharingan.

For once, his trademark orange novel was stowed away in his pocket, nowhere to be seen. The Jounin was intently watching Sasuke, who was bound to a large tree, some distance away from him.

The Uchiha's face was blank, but Kakashi could sense some kind of emotion dancing in his ex-student's onyx eyes. Something that told him Sasuke was torn between anger and… relief?

Kakashi smiled slightly under his mask.

N

Deep in thought while watching a certain pink-haired kunoichi talking to her three friends by the fire, Sasuke failed to notice a certain hyperactive ninja coming towards him until he was standing right beside him.

"Hey," came the greeting as Naruto sat on the ground beside Sasuke. The Uchiha noticed the lack of the term '-teme' in the greeting, and glanced at the jinchuuriki with an eyebrow slightly raised.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, somewhat stiffly. He hadn't forgotten the battle.

"Hn."

"Stop giving me one-word replies, you bastard, or I swear I'll rip you limb to limb,"

Sasuke glared daggers at Naruto, and the latter glared right back.

"How do you think I am, tied up like a freakin' mummy after having my chakra flow stopped?" Sasuke spat.

Naruto suddenly broke into a grin. "Now _that's_ more like it… it's kinda good to know that five years with Oro didn't change your attitude all that much,"

The furious Uchiha did not reply.

Both young teens sat in silence, each thinking their own thoughts.

"I saw you staring at Sakura-chan," the blonde boy broke the silence with a knowing smirk. "She's a lot prettier, don't you think?" he added slyly as Sasuke started, his expression almost comical.

"Don't worry, Sasuke-_kun,_ I won't tell her… I'll make _you_ tell her," Naruto laughed at his comrade.

"Shut up, dobe," the raven-haired boy muttered.

Naruto turned serious suddenly. "She's not _weak_ anymore, Sasuke," he said quietly, watching the Uchiha's face intently for any changes. "When she fought you back then – she was holding back. She didn't even use her advanced-level genjutsu on you,"

"Genjutsu doesn't work – " Sasuke started indignantly, but was cut off by Naruto.

"_Normal_ genjutsu doesn't work, on the Sharingan, I know. But Sakura's been studying with Kurenai-sensei, and they developed a kind of double-layered genjutsu – and managed to fool Neji with it,"

Sasuke felt a jolt of surprise. Genjutsu… that could even fool a Byakugan user?

"They also found a glitch in the two famous Mangekyou Sharingan genjutsu… Sakura thinks that there may be a way to enable 'kai' to work on Tsukiyomi and Ameterasu,"

_Now_ Sasuke was surprised, even if he refused to show it.

Naruto changed the topic. "How was life with the snake bastard?"

Sasuke was silent for awhile. "He'll come after us, you know," he avoided his ex-teammate's question.

Naruto snorted. "Who's afraid of _him_?"

Silence.

"All these years you were gone… people talked," Naruto said, his tone low.

"I wouldn't care," Sasuke replied emotionlessly.

"_You_ didn't care, but Sakura did," Naruto retorted. "She defended you every time she heard something bad being said about you, and after awhile, everywhere she went, people whispered behind her back. I overheard two idiots sneering that _'the Hokage's apprentice is probably working in league with that traitor… did you hear that she once had this huge crush on him? What a cheap slut,'_," Naruto added, somewhat angrily. "I wanted to rip their heads off…"

"Why didn't you, then?" Sasuke asked icily, suddenly feeling the urge to personally kill those two idiots himself. _'I'd have ripped them limb to limb…'_ a loud thought sounded in his mind.

Naruto smiled sadly. "I really don't know why I didn't do it," he admitted. "But I think it was because she once warned me never to defend her – or she'd personally rip me apart herself. And coming from _her_, that was a threat,"

Sasuke found random thoughts running through his jumbled mind as he watched the sunset. Just this morning he had fought his ole team, and now he was being held captive by them. The irony of it.

Strangely, he felt no resentment. His pride was a little wounded, true enough, but hey. Hey felt… happy, even. Just a little.

Maybe it was the feeling of being away from Orochimaru's hell, or just the feeling of being back where he belonged.

He was jolted out of his thoughts by Naruto's voice.

"Sasuke."

"Aa?"

"I have a question."

Sasuke gave him a slight nod.

"If you were given the freedom to decide… would you come – willingly – back home with us?" Naruto asked quietly.

There was a long while of silence as Sasuke immersed himself in the question. When he finally looked straight at Naruto, his face was still passive, but his eyes harboured the slightest hint of warmth.

"Yes," Sasuke said quietly. "I would,"

N

"You… mean that?"

A hesitant, feminine voice sounded, and both boys looked up in surprise. Their pink-haired friend was standing before them, looking straight at Sasuke.

For a moment, the Uchiha half expected Sakura to burst into tears and suffocate him with another of her crushing hugs, but nothing of the sort happened.

She knelt on the ground, facing him, her emerald eyes staring intently at him. "Do you really mean that?"

"When I say something I mean it," Sasuke snapped, feeling a hot sensation wash over his face. Then he swallowed hard – Uchihas did _not_ blush.

Sakura smiled, noting the faint tinge of colour on Sasuke's face. Twisting to her right, she repositioned herself to sit facing the two boys. Her inner self was almost dying with excitement, she could tell. Groaning inwardly, she shut the annoying voice out.

It was almost completely dark now. The firelight danced upon their faces, giving them a warm glow. Naruto prattled on animatedly, updating Sasuke on the happenings in Konoha, while Sakura added in parts that Naruto had missed out with almost as much gusto as the hyperactive ninja.

Sasuke listened without comment. He wondered just how much he'd missed, all the changes in Konoha, the political tides, the Rookie Nine maturing from adolescents to adults (heck, even Naruto had read Jiraya's dirty novels) His friends were growing up, and all this while he had been holed up with nothing but Kabuto's collection of dead bodies for company.

He wondered how those two could forgive him so easily, and treat him like nothing had happened. _'Do I… do I deserve it?'_ he questioned himself.

"… Jounin exams in a month, can you believe it? Hey, Sasuke, are you listening?" Sasuke jolted out of his reverie, only to find Sakura looking expectantly at him.

"Hn."

"I said, the Jounin exams are in a month, and both of us are taking part," Sakura repeated with an air of mock exasperation.

"You passed Chunin level?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, teme, we didn't just sit around moping for five years, you know," Naruto jabbed at Sasuke's chest, earning himself a death glare. He, however, continued. "You're not _that_ loved, Sasuke, so get over yourself,"

Sakura laughed lightly at the exchange. "Do you want to take the exams?" she asked the Uchiha, tilting her head to one side.

"I haven't even passed Chunin level yet," Sasuke muttered, trying to hide his embarrassment. He braced himself for an assault of laughter. Nothing happened.

"That doesn't really matter," Sakura said nonchalantly, shifting to a more comfortable position, leaning against a tree.

Sasuke glanced at her.

"For a start, I am the Hokage's apprentice," the cherry blossom grinned. "But it mainly depends on you to convince Tsunade-sama – and I warn you, she's not an easy person to deal with,"

N

The conversation went on right though dinner, with Sakura and Naruto sneaking food to Sasuke due to the fact that Neji was still rather displeased at having the Uchiha as an added burden to the team.

However, what they didn't know was that the Hyuuga prodigy saw them, but chose to simply turn away with a small smirk. Maybe this would turn out better than he thought…

When everyone else hit the sack, Naruto tactfully excused himself with a wink and a thumbs up at Sasuke, before disappearing into his tent. Some distance away, a silver-haired Jounin stood as well, satisfied at the way things were going, and decided to call it a night.

So Sakura and Sasuke were left alone, quietly talking through the night, or simply sitting in silence. As for what they talked about – no one knew.

N

Kakashi packed the last of his things and strode over to where he had left Sakura and Sasuke last night, under the trees. The Jounin grinned under his mask as he saw both of them still there – Sasuke sleeping against the tree he'd been bound to in a sitting position, while Sakura was sleeping on the ground, right next to him.

"Hey…" he called out softly. Immediately the two shinobis bolted awake.

"Time to go, lovebirds," Kakashi smirked. Sasuke glared, but Sakura didn't seem to register his words. She rubbed her tired eyes groggily, stretching while yawning.

"What time is it…"

"Half past three in the morning, and your dear team leader says that if you don't get your butts moving this second, you're gonna have hell to pay,"

Sakura swore. "My backpack…"

"Packed," Kakashi motioned to a pack lying against a rock, not far off. "Thank Tenten, she did it,"

Sakura heaved a sigh of relief. "C'mon, let's go,"

N

It was cold, and travelling when you were still half asleep didn't help at all. They ahd three more days to reach Konoha, and the prospect of that long journey didn't cheer them up, either.

Sasuke squirmed in his uncomfortably tight bonds, his wrists were sore. Keeping his balance on the branches without the use of his hands was harder than he thought.

Sakura and Naruto had spent a full ten minutes arguing with Neji on whether or not the Uchiha should be tied up, but the Hyuuga was adamant on having Sasuke's chakra points sealed and his hands bound until they reached Konoha.

'_Damn you Hyuuga…'_

N

It was almost dawn. The air was fresh and they could hear birds chirping sweetly, but Sai couldn't shake off the funny feeling in his gut. _'We're being watched…'_

He cast Kakashi a glance. The Jounin nodded slightly, looking grim. He'd sensed it, too.

Sai tapped Hinata on the shoulder. Her Byakugan was activated; she'd know what was going on. Glancing back quickly as an acknowledgement, she turned to whisper.

"Akamaru…"

The white ninja dog let out a low whine. Neji heard it, and glanced sharply to the right. He raised a clenched fist, before spreading out his fingers – the signal for them to disperse and tackle the enemy.

Immediately the group fanned out in twos or threes, leaping in different directions to source out their trackers.

N

Three minutes had passed, and still nothing. Teaming with Naruto and Sasuke, Sakura glanced around her. Everything looked normal – normal, that is, until Sakura noticed the queer little vine twisting about a small branch – she'd seen it before.

Then it struck her. Performing several handseals, Sakura caught both boys by the shoulders, halting them.

"Genjutsu Kai!"

Several trees began to vanish, and the forest became sparse. The cherry blossom clenched her fists. "Dammit… we were travelling in circles!"

Naruto was about to say something when suddenly, an agonized scream rang through the air, followed by a painfully familiar voice.

"Neji!"

The members of Team 7 glanced at each other sharply, before taking off in the direction of the voice, unspoken fear and worry tugging at their hearts.

N

Hyuuga Neji, the Hyuuga Neji, was keeled upon the ground, clutching his head in obvious pain. Tenten knelt beside him, trying to ask him what was wrong. The brown haired kunoichi prided herself for possessing a certain calm demeanor when facing crisis during missions, but that trait seemed to be abandoning her now as her heart raced and her entire body felt numb.

She tried to ask him what was wrong, trying to find the words that seemed to have left her completely in this time of need. But she soon realized that she didn't have to ask.

Neji's hitai-ate had fallen off, and there, right in the middle of his forehead, was the Hyuuga Curse Seal, glowing eerily green for all to see.

His shame. The mark that separated him from the others in the Hyuuga Clan. The one that he had tried to keep hidden from public view, for so many years. In a moment, just a moment, his weakness was displayed to the world.

By now, every member of the team surrounded Neji and Tenten, wary of attackers. Somehow, they knew, even before that man appeared right in front of Sasuke and Kakashi, just who that man was. The man none of them particularly wanted to meet right now. The man that Sasuke had vowed to kill, even at the expense of his own life.

Uchiha Itachi.

N

"Sakura!" Sasuke said sharply to the girl beside him. Understanding his tone of voice, she pulled out a kunai and slashed at his wrist bindings, swiftly hitting several points of his body that enabled his chakra to flow again.

Behind them, Tenten was close to tears, all her defenses down. She tried desperately to comfort Neji, but she didn't know how. It hurt her to see him like this. It hurt worse than anything else to see someone she loved suffering pain that she would never be able to comprehend.

"Hinata! _Do_ something! Please…" the weapons mistress pleaded. The Hyuuga heir seemed to be the only calm one amongst them, kneeling next to Neji. She closed her eyes and contemplated something for a moment, no one could tell what.

'_Should I use that technique? I've spent two years developing it… but it only works in theory… would it work now?'_

Making up her mind, Hinata looked up, a new spark of determination in her opaque eyes.

"Neji nii-san… this _will_ hurt even more,"

N

Just seeing his brother standing right before him in his Akatsuki cloak with that emotionless face on made Sasuke's blood boil. Casting a quick glance backwards at Neji, Sasuke rounded angrily on his brother.

"Leave him alone, Itachi!"

"He doesn't interest me. I am only here for the Kyuubi and the Nanabi," Itachi spoke coldly, his tone flat. His Sharingan stared at them in a fixed way, sending shivers up their spines.

"Only Naruto hosts the Kyuubi here," Sasuke shot back, somewhat confused.

"That girl next to you," Itachi motioned to wards Sakura simply. "is the Nanabi's jinchuuriki,"

Sasuke glanced at Sakura in surprise. She returned it with a warning glare. _'Not **now**, you idiot!' _

Her emerald eyes said it all.

Sasuke's fists clenched as he turned back to face Itachi, scowling. So what else was being kept from him? A jab to his back from Naruto brought him sharply back to earth. "_Focus_, teme!" the jinchuuriki hissed.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Fight me, Itachi. Not him!" he lunged forwards, only to be pulled back by Sakura and Naruto.

"I said it, brother. I only want your two… friends. Not you," Itachi spoke smoothly, not moving a muscle as he watched Sasuke struggle between his teammates. "Stop wasting my time. You're no different from all the idiots from our clan…"

The cherry blossom caught the look on Sasuke's face and shuddered. _Pure hatred._

"_Whatever_, Uchiha, it's me and Sakura you want, so leave Neji _alone_!" Naruto demanded, his voice a low growl.

"What makes you think _I_ activated the Seal on that pathetic Hyuuga?" Itachi asked coolly.

Before the words could sink in, another voice sounded from behind the Uchiha.

"The ability to activate the Curse Seal is a Hyuuga bloodline limit," a figure walked up behind Itachi. "You should know that,"

The shinobis gasped. They didn't know him, but those eyes…

Kakashi's eyes narrowed as his finally spoke.

"So you decide to show up, traitor,"

"Tsk, tsk. If I recall correctly, this boy standing before me is also a traitor, Hatake,"

"He came back to us,"

"Once a traitor, always a traitor, Hatake… the Uchiha knows that well,"

"Are you just bitter about having your name erased from the Hyuuga Clan, Hakujo?" (1)

"Shut up, Hatake,"

"Not until you do, Hyuuga,"

Onyx and opaque eyes clashed.

N

_Phew! Finally, chapter 18 finished! What do you think Hinata's going to do? I really hope it won't sound crazy to you guys… but you'll find out in the next chapter . I think my favourite part in this entire chapter was the Naruto-Sasuke exchange… so sweet… sigh_

_Anyway, **Hyuuga Hakujo** (1) is my own character, and you'll find out more about him in the next chapter. His name, Hakujo, means 'cold-hearted'. Pretty suitable, I think._

_So, once again, thanks a million to all you guys for continuously telling me what you think about the story, even the brutally honest ones – I appreciate them. Anyway, I may make some changes to Sakura's kekkai genkai as I see fit – after all, having control over all five elements is kinda overboard, besides, I plan on showing one of her self-created jutsus in later chapters. Please give me your opinions on that!_

_I guess there's nothing more to say… so review, people! As usual, I will try to reply all of them! Thanks!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	20. Chapter 19: Reverse

444 reviews… yay! I'm so happy… hehe… well, since everyone wanted to know who Hakujo is… well, you'll find out in this chapter. I hope I didn't make anyone out of character and all that… so…

Enjoy this chapter!

N

Chapter 19- Reverse

十九- 返回

Hinata looked up sharply when she heard that name, but faltered when she saw just _who_ it was.

"H-Hakujo…"

His jet-black hair was tied back in the typical Hyuuga fashion, but it was the glint in his eyes and the sneer tugging at his lips that made all the difference. Roughly pushing past Sasuke and Kakashi, he approached the trio on the ground; his eyes full of mockery that made Tenten want to lodge every weapon that she owned into his body. _'How – how dare he - !"_

Hakujo failed to notice her. "Why the lack of respect, Hinata-_sama_?" he sneered, referring to the blatant lack of the honorific term to his name. "But then again, Hanabi was always more polite to her uncle than you… not that I ever really liked her, anyway. Not that I would ever like _anything_ that is related to that imbecile Hiashi,"

Everyone stared at the unusual scene before them, unsure of what to do or to say. It seemed inappropriate to interfere as the Hyuugas were generally reserved people, their clan's doings were never public and this looked like a family feud. An open confrontation… this was something new, when it came to the opaque eyed clan.

Hinata's eyes were downcast, her fists clenched so tight her knuckles were white. Naruto noticed her body shaking, and his eyes narrowed. Not another one of them! Why did everyone of those Hyuuga morons always think that Hinata wasn't capable? His own fists clenched tight, but Sakura's warning hand on his shoulder held him back.

Neji was whimpering slightly, trying to hide his pain. How difficult it had to be… if he broke down in front of his team like that, he would never be able to face them again. Tenten knew that this was the way he thought, regardless of whatever they told him. His pride… came before anything else. She knew that. Swallowing hard, she glanced down at her numb hands, lacking circulation from Neji's death grip, his only open display of the pain he felt.

Hakujo strode closer to the girl kneeling beside her cousin, lowering himself until he was at eye level with Hinata. His face showed pure malice, malice born out of a grudge. "Your father Hiashi – " Hakujo spat the name as if it was dirt. "-is an absolute fool for choosing a weakling like you to be heir. When there could have been so many better choices – "

When the opaque-eyed girl spoke, interrupting him, her voice was dangerously quiet.

"Do _not_ – insult my father."

Her uncle let out a low laugh. "Why do you defend him, Hinata? If I remember correctly, Hiashi himself called you 'weak' and gave up on you, handing you over to your sensei – because of your dismal lack of abilities, I suppose,"

Hakujo reached out a hand and tilted Hinata's face upwards. "I see tears… tears of an heir who is unworthy, who is nothing but a sniveling child…" he spoke smoothly.

Naruto felt like lashing out at Hakujo, but refrained. Hinata could take care of herself.

Instead, it was Neji who raised a shaking hand and dealt a rather powerful blow to Hakujo's arm, despite his condition. His opaque eyes glared at the older man while he tried to hide his pain. "Don't – touch – Hinata-sama!"

"Get your filthy hands off me, Branch member!" Hakujo snarled. Neji let out a sudden, fresh cry of agony – Hakujo's killing intent was rocketing. "You disgrace the Hyuugas by interacting with this kind of woman!" he pointed accusingly at Tenten, who started, her brown eyes containing a spark of fury. "A woman who doesn't even know her name, who has none of our prestige!"

"Your _prestige_?" Tenten growled, lashing out with her kunais and shurikens. "What prestige is there when all the Hyuugas do is rant about destiny and torture the Branch House members? _Tell me_!" the weapons mistress looked like she was ready to murder, narrowly dodging the weapons Hakujo had caught and sent flying back at her.

"Do you know why you're weak, Hinata?" It's because you hang out with garbage like this!" her uncle spoke viciously, kicking Neji. Hard.

'_You – you lowlife!'_ Tenten screamed into her mind, translating her anger into strength as she attempted a sideswipe to Hakujo's feet. He avoided her neatly, never taking his eyes off Hinata.

"Don't – listen – to him – Hinata – Tenten – " Neji whispered, despite the excruciating pain crushing him. "Don't – listen!"

Hakujo continued. "Your fool of a father _dared_ name you heir! He took my rightful place, he inherited every last yen from the late clan leader and he erased my name from the Hyuugas – putting _you_ as his successor!"

Hinata's shoulders shook as anger boiled within her. There was only so much she could take before she flared. "You have no right to be our clan leader – and _anything_ would be better than having you lead us Hyuugas!" she snarled.

"Why wouldn't I make a good clan leader, Hinata? After all, I aim to make life better for the Main House," Hakujo's tone suddenly switched to a much calmer pitch. "The Branch – those fools aren't suffering enough. They should be made to work as slaves instead of the pretty term 'protectors'. Insolent brats like him –" her uncle motioned to Neji. "-should be… eliminated,"

He'd hit a nerve. Hinata's opaque eyes flashed upwards.

"What do _you_ know about valuing human life, Hakujo?" she asked dangerously, drawing herself up to her full height. "All you care about is you, you and you! Nothing else! What makes us Main House members so different from the Branch? We're not smarter – Neji-san is better than all of us. We're not superior beings – because all of us are only humans!"

"When will you see sense, Hinata? The Branch was created to serve us – they are simply pawns and tools to be used as they come and go. Their deaths do not matter to us," Hakujo's eyes shone with a malicious glint. "We are not equal – the Curse Seal sees to that. The Branch members and their curse seals – 'til death do they part'. That is the way it is, and the way it should be!" he sneered, looking at Neji mockingly.

The watching shinobis felt furious. What kind of – _sick_ – man was this? To take human life as nothing? To treat others as nothing but tools?

"And the best thing, Hinata…" Hakujo continued, oblivious to the death wishes he was receiving, "-is that you can't do _anything_ about it,"

"You want to bet?" Hinata challenged, her face set. No one had ever seen the shy Hyuuga heir looking like that, utterly furious and unafraid to show it. She suddenly seemed to radiate strength and a certain command for respect. "There's no difference between Main and Branch House members – I'll prove it!" her voice was quiet, but held a trace of daring him to argue with her.

Turning towards her cousin, Hinata instructed Tenten to hold the trembling prodigy firmly. "Hold his hand," she told her quietly. "He's going to need it,"

'_I'll have to do it. It's now or never, and I'm never going to let Hakujo have the_ _satisfaction of knowing that I've failed yet again,'_ Hinata thought, bracing herself. _'Please, please work…'_

It was something she had been trying to develop for years, and using it this once would determine if her efforts had been in vain – or not. Her handseals were performed quickly, too fast to follow.

"Hyuuga Bunke Juinjutsu: hantai ni suru!" (1)

Two of her fingers were pressed towards Neji's temples; visible white chakra was being channeled into the Curse Seal. For a moment, it glowed an even brighter shade of green, before slowly dimming…

With a cry, Hakujo started forward, but was swiftly blocked by Sasuke and Gaara, who glared him down.

The shinobi watched in fascination. The Curse Seal on Neji's forehead – it was fading.

Hinata's eyes were tightly shut in concentration. Tenten noted that Neji's grip was slackening; even his body had stopped shaking.

Only the faint outline of the seal could be seen now. A moment later, it was gone. Completely gone.

Hinata heaved a sigh of relief, letting her hands fall to her sides. Neji was reaching out for his hitai-ate, watching his reflection in the shiny metal plate. No trace of the curse seal could be seen.

He looked up at Hinata, saying nothing. But Hinata did not feel the need to hear him say anything. The look on his face alone – was enough thanks to last her a lifetime.

N

Hakujo's expression switched from surprise to one of anger as he saw just what Hinata had done.

"You - !"

Neji stood up calmly, retying his hitai-ate with measured composure. To his female teammate he gave a small smile, which she returned, stepping back. As much as she wanted to give the jerk a piece of her mind with her weapons, she knew that the family feud was none of her business.

"Do you realize what you've just done?" Hinata's uncle burst forward, furiously glaring at her.

"Nothing that concerns _you_, my dear exiled uncle," Hinata met his glare with a passive stare. Ino, Sakura and Tenten glanced at each other, exchanging their victory signal.

Hakujo was about to give her an angry retort when Itachi suddenly cut in coldly from the side.

"The time for talking is over, Hyuuga."

"Who are _you_ to order me around, Uchiha?"

The Sharingan and the Byakugan clashed. Tension wove through the air, creating a crushing sensation felt by all those around it. Who would've known that two families, with such closely related bloodlines, could despise each other so much?

'_Blood… and clans… typical, eh?'_ Sakura found herself thinking. _'Well… good thing our prodigies act a **little** more civil than that…' _she glanced at Neji and Sasuke.

Kakashi felt a sudden, churning feeling in his gut – someone was coming. Instinctively he grabbed both Naruto and Sakura, shoving them to one side while rolling out of harm's way himself.

Milliseconds later, a huge sword wrapped with bandages crashed right down on the spot where the trio was before. The bandages snapped and came loose, revealing the cold, grey teeth of the Sameheda.

Sakura and Naruto sprang up, giving their sensei a thankful glance. Kakashi stood up, looking grim, his single visible eye narrowed at the figure who leapt down after the sword. Sakura spoke for them, her voice a low, dangerous hiss.

"Kisame."

N

The shark-faced man paid no attention to the group, as if he hadn't just tried to assassinate them. Instead, he focused on his partners with a frown. "Quit it, both of you – we're supposed to bring back the two jinchuuriki, not bicker like a bunch of sissies,"

The Hyuuga and the Uchiha glared at each other for one last time, and a moment later, their penetrating gazes fell on Naruto and Sakura, who stood, feet apart and fists clenched. The cherry blossom's heart beat a little faster – it was one thing to defend her friend from the Akatsuki bastards, but it was another thing to be on Akatsuki's wanted list. She was afraid, she couldn't deny it.

Naruto seemed to notice her tensed body. "Stay calm, Sakura-chan… none of us will let them get you…" he said quietly, his aquamarine eyes never leaving the Akatsuki trio before them. Sakura smiled, just a little.

"I'd really rather we do this without any fuss," Itachi spoke emotionlessly. "But I guess that won't be happening."

Slowly, the older Uchiha began fading from their line of view, his blood red eyes ever staring, hauntingly at them. Kisame and Hakujo followed, disappearing without a trace.

"Don't look at his eyes!" Kakashi and Sasuke yelled a warning at the same time, their blood red eyes narrowed as the landscape around them gradually switched to that of a barren land, mist hovering around them. The pitch black night sky hosted nothing but a blood red moon.

"Tsukiyomi," Kakashi growled, now using only his left eye. "Sasuke."

He needn't have spoken. Already the Uchiha prodigy was by his side, his Sharingan activated with Sai right next to him. Hinata and Neji had their Byakugan activated and within moments, everyone else had formed a tight circle surrounding Naruto and Sakura.

The two jinchuuriki glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. This was so old – they didn't need any protection. But knowing that they stood no chance against three Akatsuki members alone, they stayed put, while Sakura attempted the normal 'kai' jutsu. _'Not working…' _

"Naruto," the pink-haired kunoichi suddenly hissed. Not waiting for his response, she continued. "Whatever you do – _do not_ let the Kyubi take over. Am I clear?" Her voice held a hint of worry, while her emerald eyes remained alert for movement.

"But – " Naruto started to protest. Letting the Kyubi out when he was angry had become almost a habit, but in all fairness to him, he tried to contain the demon fox. Yet, even at only one tail, the Kyubi did enough damage. Sakura didn't want anything else happening, not after their encounter with Sasuke.

"Naruto," the cherry blossom spoke sharply, her tone daring him to challenge her. "The Bijuu – they're not our strengths. They're our weaknesses. Using their power only hurts _us_. And if you let the Kyubi out during this fight, you're doomed. Do you understand?"

Reluctantly, Naruto nodded.

Sakura felt a wave of relief. Maybe, just maybe, they would have a chance for survival through this. If they used the Bijuu, they would be consumed by the immense chakra instead of being helped by it. The Akatsuki had used that to their advantage when capturing the rest of the Bijuu. Now, they only needed two more to complete the set, and Sakura was determined that neither she nor Naruto nor any of her friends were going to die here, today. Not this time.

"Sakura!" a voice called out quietly, and the cherry blossom looked over. She was sure it had been Tenten calling her, but the weapons mistress was not looking at her. Tenten seemed to have spoken her name unconsciously. Sakura looked around her, and realized that all her friends seemed to be frozen to the spot. Most of them were wide-eyed, and shivering. Wait… _shivering_?

Fear. She recognized it immediately.

'Dammit… Tsukiyomi's only supposed to work with eye contact on one person only… he must've developed it… so now he's torturing them in their minds…' Sakura cursed inwardly, almost panicking.

It seemed that only she and Naruto were the only ones unaffected by the genjutsu, the latter was looking around confusedly, wondering why the atmosphere suddenly felt so strange.

"NARUTO!!! DUCK!!!!" Sakura hollered as a storm of weapons rained out from nowhere, cutting flesh and drawing the blood of the seemingly frozen shinobis, who let out muffled cries of agony.

"No…" the kunoichi whispered, trying to dodge the weapons. "Naruto – get everyone to make body contact with the person next to them!" Sakura commanded, darting forwards. A kunai lodged into her left thigh, and a sudden, jolting pain shot through her entire leg, nearly making her collapse. She gritted her teeth through the pain. "Make them hold hands, whatever as long as they're touching – and don't let those weapons get you… they hurt like hell…"

"Too late," Naruto said through clenched teeth, ignoring the pain while trying to drape Ino's stiff arm around Shikamaru.

The cherry blossom placed herself between Kakashi and Sasuke. When her frantic calls to them went unnoticed, she slapped both of them out of exasperation, and forcefully linked their arms with hers.

"Done!" Behind her, Naruto let out a triumphant cry, which was followed by a swear word as two shurikens hit his upper right arm.

Sakura tried hard to ignore the bouts of jolting pain that occurred every time a weapon hit her – her healing wasn't going to work in Itachi's world. Naruto clasped her shoulders firmly, and Sakura began her handseals. She closed her eyes and focused, Kurenai's words ringing in her ears.

"_Focus. It's the only thing that will get you out of any type of genjutsu."_

Sakura found herself picturing all of them, safely home and happy. She saw it so vividly, she felt as if they were really back in Konoha, without having to worry about Akatsuki members popping out of nowhere and being trapped in deadly genjutsus.

"_MOVE_, PEOPLE!!!" Naruto's sudden, loud voice rang out, accompanied by language not exactly fit to be printed. A hand roughly shook her by the shoulder, jerking her back into reality. In the next few blurry moments, she registered the fact that the advanced release technique she had been working on with Kurenai-sensei actually worked, after all – and the next thing she knew, she was shoved onto the ground, with Sasuke atop her.

A pink tint had barely made it into her cheeks when the Uchiha stood up swiftly, looking down at her.

"Stay alert, Sakura, I won't be there to save you the next time," he smirked, offering her a hand while using his other hand to defend them with his sword.

Sakura took it while sending a flurry of shurikens flying, about to retort indignantly that she had saved _his_ butt from Tsukiyomi, but as she was joisted up by the Uchiha, she bit back the retort.

That could wait.

N

"TEME! SAKURA-CHAN!"

Jolted by their hyperactive friend's frantic call, the two shinobis looked up in surprise. Horror was evident on their faces as both noticed the same thing:

The Sameheda was bearing down upon them, its claw-like teeth glinting dangerously.

Their senses suddenly kicking in full force, both the cherry blossom and the Uchiha dived apart, Sakura to the left and Sasuke to the right. The latter made it safely out of harms way and back to his teammates, who were now engaged in battle with Hakujo and Itachi.

Sakura was not so lucky. Her left foot had caught on a tree root and she stumbled forward, falling hard – right in the way of Kisame's sword.

In a reflex action, Sakura lifted her right arm to block the blade – and thanked kami-sama that for some weird reason, she'd put on metal ANBU arm guards that morning.

When the sword clashed with metal, Sakura felt herself shuddering from the impact and fought to hold her ground, using her left arm as a support for her right, growling while countering the pressure that Kisame was forcing on her.

'A kunoichi tripping… what an unforgivable blunder,' Sakura thought with a slight smirk as she kept the chakra flow in her arm steady, her emerald eyes meeting Kisame's mocking grin.

The male members of Team 7 saw what was happening and started in Sakura's direction, but were quickly blocked by Itachi. The glare of his blood-red eyes said it all: _You're not going anywhere._

N

Beads of sweat trickled down Sakura's porcelain skin as she stubbornly refused to give in to the pressure of Kisame's sword. Her body was shaking with the effort, her jaws were clenched and her eyes tightly shut.

'_I won't… hold this… for much longer…'_ Sakura thought desperately. _'He's… too… strong!'_

'_Oh c'mon you weakling! Don't tell me you're gonna show Sasu-kun that we're weak!'_ her inner self pouted.

'_This has nothing to do with him!'_ Sakura growled inwardly.

"You know, it'd be much easier if you and that Kyubi boy would just give yourselves up… after all, dying while the Bijuu is being extracted is relatively… painless."

"Dream on," Sakura snarled back, still struggling to hold her own. "Like you'd ever know what it's like to die… or to have people close to you die."

Kisame looked surprised, the pressure of his word lessened just for a moment. Sakura cheered inwardly – this was a chance.

Seconds later, the shark-faced man felt Sakura's arm giving way under the pressure he was putting on her, and smirked.

"Given up, haven't – what – "

He broke off mid-sentence, startled.

The pink-haired kunoichi had disappeared.

And in her place – was nothing but a log.

N

_Hehe... I guess that wasn't much of a cliff, but hey… ; oh well. How was that? Everyone kept telling me to make Hinata kick Hakujo's butt, I didn't make her do it literally, but I hope that I didn't make her too strong or something like that. It's nice to see her being tough once in a while…_

_Ok, I guess the only translation I have to do is this:_

_(1)**Hyuuga Bunke Juinjutsu: hantai ni suru** – Hyuuga Curse Seal: Release_

_Uh… I guess that will be all… so once again, please review!!!! Have a great weekend, guys!!! _

_Ja ne!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	21. Chapter 20: Strength

_Oo yea… chapter for April up! oh, and I finally managed to get kanji titles, so enjoy, ne? This sure took me and age to do… Hopefully, my next chapter will up soon, I have an exam next month… so probably end of May… sorry… _

_This chapter is dedicated to **Animelove101** because you told me it was your birthday last chapter… so this is for you! Happy belated birthday! _

_Oh, and love you guys for all the reviews!_

_Enjoy the chapter!_

N

Chapter 20- Strength

にじゅう－強く

Sakura crouched on a branch, well hidden from the view of all the Akatsuki members. She wasn't worried about Hakujo's Byakugan – Neji, Hinata and Tenten were keeping him extremely busy at the moment.

Kisame was facing Sai, Gaara, Lee and Kiba, Shikamaru and Ino well-hidden behind several bushes and attempting to destabilize the shark-faced man.

The rest of Team 7 were confronting Itachi. Sakura forced herself to look away – she knew that she wouldn't be able to resist jumping in to intervene once she saw Sasuke fighting Itachi,

'_They're distracted… I better do it now…'_ she thought, leaping nimbly onto a higher branch to get a better view. A small frown creased her brow as she contemplated the best way to trap all three Akatsuki members at once, in her genjutsu. Finding a satisfactory position, the pink-haired kunoichi sat down upon the branch, centering her chakra and concentrating.

"_Kurenai-sensei, I have an idea," Sakura looked up suddenly from the book she was flipping through. _

"_Let's hear it," the crimson-eyed woman strode over, sitting beside the kunoichi. _

"_Most of our genjutsu techniques involve making a person see something out of the ordinary, such as the Nemuri Genjutsu produces floating feathers, so on and so forth," Sakura started, gesturing with a hand. "But those kinds won't fool people with the Byakugan and Sharingan easily – because they know, at an early stage, exactly what we are attempting, and they are usually able to do the reverse procedures in time,"_

_Kurenai nodded. "I see your point. But both bloodlines have always prided themselves in this sort of thing – not to be fooled by illusions,"_

"_Yes, precisely," Sakura grinned, an unusual characteristic for her. "Imagine a scene where you're facing someone with either of those two bloodlines, and instead of doing the basic genjutsus, you create an illusion entirely similar to the surroundings, only revealing the true nature of the illusion once your opponent is completely trapped and unable to use 'kai' easily,"_

_The older woman looked thoughtful. "Yes, Sakura, that's a good base to start off with, but you have to remember that imitating something that already exists, and doing it without imperfections visible to the trained eye of those with the Byakugan and Sharingan – it's not an easy task,"_

_Sakura tilted her head to one side, smiling. "When have I been one to give up a challenge, sensei?"_

_Kurenai smirked. "Well, since you put it that way… I challenge you to develop this technique within a week and fool **both** Kakashi and Hyuuga Neji with it," _

"_That's a deal, sensei!"_

Sakura opened her eyes and straightened, a small smile adorning her lips at the memory. Quickly calculating he genjutsu coverage, the cherry blossom leapt down onto a lower branch, preparing to execute her handseals.

'_Wish me luck, Kurenai-sensei…'_

N (Back in Konoha…)

A certain crimson-eyed Jounin crept stealthily along the dusty corridor in the old weapons shop Shizune had mentioned, her cat mask and ANBU uniform in place. Behind her, another well-built man with messy, spiky black hair followed, his eyes sharp and alert.

The corridor they were traveling along branched into two. Signaling to her partner; Kurenai took the left branch.

"Five minutes only, Kotetsu," she said softly. "You know the warning signal,"

He nodded.

They split.

N

The 'Sakeya' had once been extremely popular, as Genma remembered. Dressed as ANBU, he, Iruka and Izumo silently entered, walking softly as each examined a section of the room they were in.

Rows of dusty bottles lined the wooden cupboards along the walls, most of them still full. Quite obviously, the owner had been in a hurry to pack up and leave for some reason, Genma thought, as he noted that almost all of the sake left were the expensive kinds. He suddenly had a fleeting vision of the Hokage getting drunk alone in this particular abandoned shop.

"Tsunade-sama would go psycho if she could see all this sake right now," the Jounin muttered audibly under his breath.

"Yeah," Izumo agreed, his usual mop of hair covering one eye. "But this place looks a _little_ too small to be a pub, don'tcha think?"

Genma and Iruka looked around them. Doing a rough calculation, Iruka gauged that the room they were standing in was only as big as the average study – definitely not enough to serve as a pub.

"You've got a point," Iruka agreed, walking around cautiously as not to make any sound. "They must've rigged it somehow…"

It was then that something caught his eye.

"Hey… Genma… Izumo… look at that," he pointed to a section of the shelves on the wall facing the entrance. "Is it just me, or does that section look… cleaner than the rest?"

Genma stepped forward to investigate, but suddenly glanced sharply at his partners.

Footsteps. Someone was approaching – from the other side of the shelves!

The three men moved in sync to their perfectly organized plan – Iruka darted out to warn Kurenai and Kotetsu with a bird call, while Genma and Izumo sprang apart, hiding themselves.

The shelves moved slowly but smoothly, and both hidden shinobis watched with bated breaths, instinctively knowing the person behind those shelves.

The concealed door opened fully, and out stepped Danzou.

N

Kotetsu cautiously pushed open the door at the end of the corridor – only to e met by a disappointing sight : it was empty.

'Looks like a dead end,' the Jounin thought glumly, quietly shutting the door. Then he perked up. There it was – a quick succession of shrill falcon calls. Iruka's signal.

Swiftly, Kotetsu ran lightly down the length of the corridor, back to the fork where he and Kurenai had split. The crimson-eyed woman wasn't there, and he could hear footsteps coming from the direction they had entered. Deciding that he should worry later, Kotetsu spotted the loose ceiling panel overhead, and leapt up, pushing it open and drawing himself in, then replacing the panel, leaving a small gap to watch the goings-on beneath him.

Not a moment too soon. The stately leader of the ANBU Root division walked past, right under him just as the panel was put back in place.

N

Kurenai was only two feet away from the door at the end of the corridor when she heard Iruka's signal. As if on cue, footsteps sounded from beyond the closed door – and another pair of footsteps were headed in her direction from the other end of the corridor.

With a splilt second to make her decision, Kurenai swiftly performed several genjutsu handseals, and merged into the wall.

The door opened, and out stepped a rather familiar figure.

Kurenai's eyes widened as she barely stifled a gasp.

Deidara?

N (Somewhere in the forest…)

Sasuke was impatient, Kakashi could tell that much. The way in which he moved without contemplation, or strategy before attacking, was a mirror image of Naruto's younger self.

'You killed hundreds without flinching, Sasuke, and now, when you're facing the person you want to kill, you're losing yourself,' Kakashi thought grimly. Without warning, the Jounin grabbed his ex-student and leapt away, dragging Sasuke along.

"Kakashi _what_ – " Sasuke growled.

"Stop it,"

"Stop what?"

"You're fighting a losing battle, and you know it," Kakashi gave him a sidelong glare after checking that Naruto was holding up. "Stop it. You're just letting him get to you!"

"So what's your problem with it?" the raven-haired teen shot back, angry at being treated like a kid after five years of having his own way at Orochimaru's.

Kakashi turned to him, his expression serious. "Listen. Sakura's trying to do _something_, I can't tell exactly what, but you – and all of us – have to keep all three of those Akatsuki distracted for as long as it takes for Sakura to do whatever she's attempting. So don't get defeated now just because you're too angry to think straight," he warned.

"I don't _need_ her to – "

"You can't do this alone, Sasuke!" the Copy-nin's voice rose rapidly. "You know that – so stop being a smartass and get serious, because this isn't about killing Itachi for revenge! Not anymore! It's about getting all of us out of this – _alive_!"

The silence seemed infinite between them as the impact of Kakashi's words sunk in.

He continued, in a quieter tone. "You don't want to lose Naruto and Sakura again, do you?" His eyes watched the young man intently, waiting for the answer he already knew.

There was no response, Sasuke's gaze was averted to the ground.

"Sasuke,"

Reluctantly, the raven-haired boy muttered a "No,"

"Then you should know what to do," Kakashi turned and made a move to head back to the battlefield, but he suddenly paused. Without turning around, the silver-haired Jounin spoke again.

"I'm not asking for any promises, Sasuke, but remember that both Naruto and Sakura never gave up on you – don't give up on yourself now,"

With that, Kakashi leapt out of sight to rejoin the jinchuuriki in battle.

N

"You're an _idiot_, Hinata," Hakujo snarled, lunging at her. "Freeing the Branch members – what good will it do you?"

The Hyuuga heir sidestepped him. "I think that would be none of your concern, uncle," she said evenly. "It'll probably take off a year or two of my life, but that's just me, trying to defy destiny," she mocked lightly, hardly aware that she was doing it. There was a reckless desire within her to just let loose for once.

"Then what makes you think that the Branch will be grateful to you for freeing them?" Hakujo snarled, aiming a punch at Hinata. "They'll be killing off all the Main House members next-"

She blocked his fist with a chakra wall. "What have _you_ ever done to deserve gratitude from them, Hakujo? And if they killed off the Main House, we'd deserve it – after all the agony we've put them through, for all these years!"

Neji took the chance to attack Hakujo while Hinata and Tenten distracted him, but the older Hyuuga managed to block his attack. Just seeing Hinata's furious face made the prodigy remember what he'd said to his father about her on her third birthday.

"_Chichioya, isn't she cute?" the younger boy asked, looking up at his father with a big smile on his childish face._

'_Well, she's not cute, anymore, chichioya… but she has grown…' _Neji thought with an unseen smile.

Tenten shook her teammate by the shoulder, a puzzled look on her face. He gave her a slight nod to indicate that he was okay, and the weapons mistress tossed him an explosive, pulling out a few more of her own explosive tags, already attached to handle-less kunais.

Understanding her gesture, the opaque-eyed boy pulled out several of his own, as well, and leapt out of sight following Tenten.

Hakujo was getting angrier by the second at Hinata defying his words. In the Hyuuga household, the elders were _never_ contradicted by those younger than them – it was a tradition long upheld, and a tradition that Hinata was breaking. He managed to hit one of her vital points and several minor ones, but the girl refused to give in – even though she hadn't managed to land a single blow on him.

"So you insist on continuing this ridiculous notion of yours?" Hakujo demanded, whirling back to avoid a kick from Hinata.

"Yes,"

"You'll never become head of the Hyuuga clan," her uncle whispered harshly. "I'll make sure of that – because you'll be dead by the time I'm finished here,"

"You're wasting your time, Hakujo," Hinata stood still, suddenly calm. The exiled Hyuuga was moving towards her at top speed, wanting to deal a killing blow. "My sister supports me fully on this matter, so even if you kill me…"

Hinata was fading away from view. In a moment, two hand grenades and about a dozen kunai with explosive tags attached came raining down on the lone man.

Hakujo, who had been too arrogant to activate his Byakugan before, assumed that it was genjutsu, judging by the way Hinata had disappeared.

And by the time he realized that the hand grenades and explosive tags lodged onto his cloak were real enough – it was already too late.

N

Sai felt frustration building within him as Kisame's sword effectively blocked and absorbed every single inked animal he used. None of the others were faring very well, either; Gaara's sand could only manage to keep the Sameheda out of the way for about half a minute, but not much damage could be done within that time limit.

Lee's taijutsu was practically useless against the sword, only his speed gave him some point of advantage in landing blows, but Kisame wasn't an Akatsuki member for nothing. Kiba and Akamaru couldn't even lay a scratch on the shark-faced man.

"Guys! Retreat!"

Shikamaru's yell resounded from his post in the trees, after he and Ino had agreed on the strategy. The team glanced at each other. Retreating – whatever way you chose to put it in – was still running away.

They didn't have much time to debate that point, staying alive was the key factor right now. All four shinobis and the ninja dog darted back to their leader, their expressions difficult to read.

"Hey, come back out here, you wimps," Kisame mocked, watching them but not bothering to move from his spot. Kiba flared up at once.

"Who are _you_ calling wimp, you-"

"_Shut_ up, Kiba!" Shikamaru hissed. "We're getting that darned sword out of his hands for once and for all, so just listen here!"

No one objected.

N

"Oi, I'm getting bored here…" Kisame said loudly, yawning while resting his sword on the ground_. 'Those twerps… what do they think they're doing, stalling their deaths?'_

Within the short span of Kisame's attention lapse, the shinobis vanished. Kisame started, immediately alert.

All at once, four shinobis and one white ninja dog came bearing down from above. Solid sand crawled up his sword, immobilizing his right hand; a large black tiger clawed onto his left art; two green, spandex-clad arms wrapped around his neck in a strong hold while someone grabbed his left foot, and sharp fangs dug into his right leg.

Before the surprised man had any time to react, Shikamaru started on his signature jutsu.

"Kagemane no Jutsu!"

His black shadow snaked upon the earthen ground, trapping the shark-faced man. "Ino!" the Nara genius signalled sharply.

Already the blonde girl was standing before him, her handseals in place. Her electric blue eyes reflected a spark of determination seldom seen in her.

"Ninpou: Shitenshin no Jutsu!"

At that very moment, Kisame's right hand and sword forcefully came free of their sand prison, and he swiftly lifted it before him to block the path of Ino's soul possession. The large sword suddenly vibrated.

Ino's body remained limp at Shikamaru's feet, but suddenly coughed up blood. As much as he wanted to check on her, Shikamaru knew that he had to keep his jutsu's hold on Kisame for as long as possible.

The team watched with bated breaths. Kisame was still.

Then, a tired voice spoke. "It's alright… I'm in his body now…"

With a sigh of relief, all the shinobis released their grasp on the Akatsuki member. Shikamaru dispelled his jutsu.

And regretted that decision.

N

A malicious grin broke out upon Kisame's face as he suddenly darted forward and grabbed Ino by her collar. The blonde girl was slowly regaining consciousness, still coughing up bouts of blood.

Everyone stared in disbelief. Kisame –

"Just a little play acting and you fell for it like the idiots you are…" the blue-skinned man smirked. "Especially _you_, self-proclaimed genius," he sneered at Shikamaru. "So… this one's your girlfriend, eh? Not bad for a lazy ass like you…"

No one said anything – no one knew what to say. They couldn't risk attacking, Ino's life was on the line.

Inwardly, the Nara genius seethed with anger at his own stupidity. An inexplicable feeling was eating him up from the inside, something so unbearably painful that his mind was wiped blank of thought of any form of strategy, save for that one, loud, resounding thought.

'_Ino…'_

N

"You fight rather… gallantly for your life, Uzumaki, just like all your jinchuuriki friends," Itachi said emotionlessly, easily sidestepping a punch from Naruto. "But I doubt it will help you, really, and you're just wasting my time,"

Naruto said nothing, even though he was dying to rip that stoic expression off the Uchiha's face. His blue eyes darted to a side as he spotted Kakashi and Sasuke headed towards them, and vaguely wondered exactly what his sensei had told his stubborn teammate.

Itachi caught sight of them, too, and moved backwards, so that he was facing all three of them at once. Red clashed with red as they stared at each other, their gazes never wavering.

"I'd like to know… how much you would sacrifice for those you call friends," the older Uchiha directed his question at Sasuke.

Wordlessly, the real battle began, each dodging, swerving and delivering blows expertly. Kakashi and Itachi's faces remained passive throughout, but Naruto and Sasuke clearly displayed every ounce of anger and hatred felt.

'_Both of you still have a lot to learn about a true shinobi battle…'_ Kakashi thought grimly as he threw several kunai at his opponent. His eyes subconsciously flickered upwards, searching for any sign of the pink-haired kunoichi. _'Sakura… you better hurry, whatever you're doing… I'm not sure if these two hotheads can keep it up,'_

N

Sakura checked if she could remember every variation of the handseals required. If she missed out even one, her plan was entirely doomed.

Somehow, her heart was beating unbelievably fast. Kurenai had told her that this technique would wear her down immensely due to the amount of concentration it took to create and maintain it, and she wasn't exactly sure if she could do it.

The cherry blossom had deliberately placed her self at a spot where she had a clear view of her teammates battling their rival. Even though she knew it only served as a distraction.

'_Here goes…'_ Sakura took a deep breath, starting on her handseals.

"Genjutsu: Fushi no gen'ei!" (1)

She could feel it. A wonderful, floating sensation rushed through her body, even though she was still standing firmly on the branch. She felt light, as if she had suddenly become weightless, and the feeling of total control had filled her, brushing away all her doubts.

The genjutsu was working. Ever so slowly, the forest was changing, the lush, green leaves gradually dissolving, leaving only barren branches as a bout of cold wind whipped through the air.

Sakura was just experiencing a sense of elation at having successfully executed her genjutsu when she happened to look downwards, to where Team 7 and Itachi were still battling it out, oblivious to the sudden change.

Sasuke had whirled around to avoid several senbon, and was turning back to face Itachi, his katana poised. Somehow, from the look on Itachi's usually blank face alone, Sakura could tell – he'd activated his Mangekyou Sharingan.

Completely forgetting her own halfway-complete genjutsu, and reacting to a sudden impulse, Sakura leapt down from the branch without thinking, and landed right between the Uchiha brothers, facing Itachi.

When her emerald eyes met Itachi's red, unforgiving Mangekyou Sharingan, Sakura froze, unable to move.

She knew, at that moment – that she'd just made the biggest mistake of her life.

N

_YEAH!!!!!! 20th chapter finished!!!! dances crazily was that a cliff or what? _

_Anyway, here's the jutsu I invented, for Sakura's genjutsu:_

_(1) **Genjutsu: Fushi no gen'ei**- Illusionary technique: Immortal illusion._

_I can explain it if you guys don't understand, just tell me in your review and I'll PM you. Okay?_

_Now… tell me what you guys think, okay? I'll be waiting!_

_See you guys next chapter!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	22. Chapter 21: Illusions

_Yo people! sorry for the late update, I was busy. Really, really busy. So I really hope you don't mind… anyway, chapter 21 is up! Finally! Hehe… _

_This chapter is dedicated to my 500__th__ reviewer, __**angeldevil11,**__ and also to __**Dark-Neko-Princess**__, who requested it as a birthday present (right?) I'm sorry, my memory isn't that good… _

_So, our team of shinobis are in the heat of the battle with Akatsuki! What's gonna happen? _

_Enjoy this!_

N

Chapter 21- Illusions

二十一-幻想

All at once, the pink-haired girl found herself sinking. Or floating. Whichever it was, she wasn't sure. All around her was pitch black darkness, and eerie silence filled the endless void, making her feel… empty, all of a sudden.

Then there was a call.

"Sakura!"

It was loud, desperate, even. Naruto's, maybe? Or Sasuke?

'_Nah… Sasuke would never yell like that…'_ a vague thought popped up in her mind.

It was surprising, really. She was probably dying, and that was all she could think of? A heavy fog seemed to be settling in her mind, blotting bits and pieces of her consciousness out. She tried to remember random things, like Naruto's favourite food, but she somehow could not recall it. When she shifted her thoughts, she found that she couldn't even remember her hair colour. Feeling childish excitement bubbling in her, Sakura grabbed a lock of her own hair and glanced at it.

'_Ooh, I've got pink hair!!!!'_ she giggled, flipping herself over as she went on floating in the pitch-black vortex, her fear seemingly gone. Acting like a five-year-old, the pink-haired kunoichi twisted around and pretended to be swimming, giggling all the way as she stretched her arms and legs this way and that, experimenting. Just then –

"OW!" Sakura shrieked as her hindquarters met with solid ground and reality came rushing back in one humongous wave, leaving her confused one moment, and angry the next. Angry at herself, for not focusing on her problem and getting carried away by the genjutsu until she forgot herself.

The sudden presence of light had nearly blinded her, but as Sakura stood gingerly, her butt still hurting, she saw that she was on terra firma again. Shadows of barren trees drew long across the similarly barren landscape, similar to the effect of Tsukiyomi – save for the fact that the trademark, blood red moon was missing.

Thick mist began to envelop her, limitating her line of vision. Sakura glanced around warily, her kunoichi's instincts kicking in. The only things visible now were the faint outlines of twisted, gnarled trees. There seemed to be a faint sound echoing all around her, gradually growing louder.

Laughing.

At first, she felt nothing. Then there was that awful feeling gnawing at her heart, eating her alive. She knew what it was, the emotion was all too familiar.

Fear.

N

Naruto dived towards Sakura's motionless body, shoving her away forcefully, hoping against hope that he'd managed to get her out of harm's way, but he knew the truth.

"Too late,"

Itachi deadpanned, his red eyes leaving the pink-haired kunoichi, who was now crumpled upon the earthen ground, looking as if she was asleep, to meet Naruto's furious azure eyes. The jinchuuriki's fists clenched – all that separated him from lashing out with the nine-tails' chakra was his promise to Sakura, just before this fight.

Sasuke saw it, as his brother's gaze shifted to rest on him. The three black swirls within the blood red sea of his brother's unconcerned gaze, with a spark that seemed to mock him perpetually.

"Tsukiyomi… you used Tsukiyomi on her!" Sasuke growled, a burning feeling rising in his throat. No one without a Sharingan, trapped by Tsukiyomi, could ever survive.

No one.

"It's not Tsukiyomi," Itachi said emotionlessly, waving a hand almost carelessly. "It's something much worse. And it's not my fault she jumped in. That was meant for you,"

'_Why __**now**__, Sakura, you damned idiot?'_ Sasuke hissed in his thoughts, trying to stop his body shaking.

Naruto was kneeling beside the pink-haired girl, looking absolutely furious, angry tears running down his cheeks. Sakura – Sakura – she –

'_No! Sakura-chan's not going to die!'_ he desperately tried to reassure himself, desperately tried to hold back his tears, but he couldn't. Death was still something the cheery blonde couldn't comprehend, especially the death of someone so precious to him.

"What did you do to her?" Naruto growled, looking ready to murder as he stood slowly, fists clenched tightly.

"I didn't do anything," Itachi deadpanned. "Saving other people is a waste of time – especially if that person happens to be my little brother," the older Uchiha's face was blank. "She will see the future as I intend it,"

"Get her out of it. Now." A certain onyx-eyed boy demanded, his eyes lowered to the ground as he stopped himself for showing signs of weakness. He couldn't cry. He was an Uchiha. He couldn't cry, not in front of this murderer. "DO IT!"

Itachi's blood red eyes stared at him. "It's irreversible,"

His words seemed to echo, on and on. Sakura's three male teammates froze. It had registered in their minds, the moment Sakura crumpled in their midst, that she was gone, but somehow, having someone _say_ it made it utterly final.

Subconsciously, their gazes fell upon their pink-haired friend, lying on the ground with a restless expression on her face. They recognized the familiar expressions, appearing plainly upon the cherry blossom's face – Sakura had never been able to truly master the art of concealing emotions.

Fear.

Confusion.

Sasuke spoke in a quiet, low tone, confusion etched into his pale face.

"Irreversible…?"

N

A sharp jab to his lower back brought the Nara genius sharply back into the world of the living and conscious. It was Sai. "Snap out of it," the raven-haired boy hissed, with quiet a bit of viciousness laced into his voice. "Any ideas?"

Various rather unusable ideas raced through his supposedly 'genius' brain. Shaking his head slightly to clear the fog settling over his mind, he shook his head and glanced at Sai.

_At a loss._ Shikamaru never imagined that it would ever happen to him.

"Nara. Get your clueless butt moving," a dry voice sounded. The Kazekage looked passive. "After I get him to stop, trap him again. Move fast, he's too quick for our attacks to last. Sai, you're the distraction. Don't let him hurt Yamanaka."

Sai nodded, leaping out of sight. Gaara turned to face Shikamaru, who was getting into position. The Kazekage had waves of sand shifting around him, as if they, too, were impatient to attack.

"Shikamaru," he spoke flatly, his dark-rimmed eyes narrowed.

The boy looked up, his face unreadable.

"Don't let her down,"

N

Everything seemed to blur for a few moments as her emotions took control. Shutting her eyes tightly, the kunoichi forced herself to calm down and think rationally.

Then she opened her eyes. The mist was gone, and all that surrounded her was an endless, empty white place.

It's strange, really, when one is surrounded by a vast expanse of emptiness. It feels as if you've suddenly become hollow, and everything becomes cold… so cold, because you can't feel. You can't feel the warmth that keeps us human, that keeps us alive.

That was how Sakura felt. Empty. Lonely. Then she was bewildered. What was happening?

And then, in a single, split second, agonized screams rang through the air, and Sakura collapsed to her knees, clutching her head, shaking all over. Every scream pierced deep into her heart, causing pain beyond anything she could describe.

"No… no… STOP IT!" the cherry blossom whimpered, her eyes shut tightly, willing the ghastly sounds to go away, to leave her alone. "Stop… stop…"

She kept trembling. The air felt so cold… so lifeless. When she finally opened her eyes again –

Her world was full of blood.

"NO!"

N

"I don't give a damn," Sasuke lunged at his brother, the Chidori sparking dangerously in the palm of his hand. "Reverse it! _NOW_!"

"Getting attached to her won't help you kill me," Itachi said simply, dodging. "You will simply collapse when I kill her – "

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke roared, his sword drawn.

"Hn," Itachi smirked, blocking Sasuke easily with a kunai. "Do you… really think you can protect her?"

"I'll do whatever it takes," Sasuke growled subconsciously, hardly registering his own words.

"Is she really that precious to you?" Itachi asked with an air of detachment, twirling his kunai with a finger before sending a barrage of shurikens at Sasuke.

His brother could not reply.

N

Sai dodged behind a clump of bushes and trees, discreetly making his way to a spot where he was behind Kisame. He pulled out several scrolls and prepared to start on a distraction when a sudden movement on the ground made him pause. His dark eyes scanned the earthen forest ground, trying to detect any attacks.

His eyes widened. Bugs…?

Millions of the tiny black insects scampered upon the ground silently, carefully avoiding the patch Sai was squatting on. The forest ground looked like shifting black earth as more of the insects appeared and moved past him steadily, ignoring him, clambering onwards.

It took him one moment to realize exactly what was happening, and then a tiny smile crept up upon his face.

'_Aburame Shino…'_

N

Ino struggled within Kisame's steel grasp, trying to comprehend the sequence of events right after her soul had crashed into Kisame's chakra barrier and ricocheted back into her body. That encounter left no visible bruise, but it still hurt. Like hell. The blonde haired kunoichi squirmed uncomfortably.

'_The shark-faced idiot is going to pay for scarring my skin like that,'_ Ino thought vaguely, feeling the blood circulation in her arms halting due to Kisame's unyielding grip.

Thinking fast, she focused what was left of her chakra and created a weak, but effective electrical field about her arms, jolting the Akatsuki member considerably – probably from the shock.

The moment his grip slackened, the blonde kunoichi summoned her energy and kicked him – right where a guy ain't supposed to be kicked.

N

'_Blood… there's so much blood!'_

Outside the gates of Konoha, a battle raged – a vicious battle between the Leaf and Sand, Sound and Akatsuki. Weapons rained down like a hailstorm, sources unknown – and while the Sound and Akatsuki remained standing, their numbers never decreasing; Leaf and Sand shinobis lay dead upon the ground, as far as an eye could see.

Sakura stood, shivering with terror. The dark, thunderous sky was raining crimson droplets, staining her face, her hair and her body blood-red. All of a sudden, she was standing right in the middle of the battlefield, no longer an observer, yet she could only watch as scores of Sound shinobis raced towards her, weapons in hand.

Something struck her. Sakura looked down, and there was a katana struck right through her chest – but she felt no pain. Only fear.

She looked around slowly, apprehensively, almost afraid of what she would find.

Her friends lay on the ground, horribly mangled. Dead. She whimpered at the sight, falling to her knees.

"Tenten! Hinata…!"

Neither of the girls, lying on the ground covered in blood, responded to their friend's desperate calls. Their faces were pale, their skin cold. They were dead.

"Neji! Lee? Naruto!!!" Sakura's choked, her frantic cry sounding again as she grabbed the hyperactive ninja by his bloodied collar and shook him hard, hoping against hope that he would wake up, grinning, perfectly fine, and tell her that they were just playing a prank on her.

He remained still.

Lifeless.

"No…" the pink-haired kunoichi whimpered, turning with hot tears streaking down her pale face. "_No_…"

A pair of strong arms gathered her into a tight embrace, and a shaky voice whispered into her ear. "Shh… it's alright…"

She'd know that voice anywhere.

"Sasuke…" she clutched at his shirt, sinking into the warmth, feeling just a trace of comfort from the fact that he was _there_.

That moment was not to last. Sakura heard a soft gasp, before the raven-haired boy suddenly went limp, his grasp on her slackening before he slumped to the ground. The girl froze before she had any time to react. She was staring into those eyes – those eyes that had kept Sasuke on a never-ending rush for revenge, for all these years.

Itachi's smile was unnerving, curving up ever so slightly at the edge – as if he was _satisfied_. Sakura's mind was utterly blank as she stared into the blood red depths of his Sharingan, feeling pain beyond anything describable.

"He's gone." The Akatsuki member let out a small smirk, motioning carelessly towards all the dead bodies of her friends, lying around them. "All of them are gone,"

Silence.

"Alone," he continued, his voice distant. "Lost, desolate. Alone. That's all you are, and ever will be,"

Itachi faded from her view, and Sakura simply stood there, her limbs refusing to move, her mind refusing to work.

In a single, powerful explosion, the once beautiful village of Konoha went up in flames, dancing and soaring towards the sky viciously, mocking the kunoichi below, laughing at her helplessness. The cherry blossom fell wordlessly to her knees, watching her home village burn.

It burned. It burned to the ground until nothing was left – save for smoke, soot and ashes.

N

"What - ?" Kurenai whispered in horror. "Deidara… in Konoha?"

As soon as the Akatsuki member rounded the corner of the corridor, Kurenai dispelled her genjutsu and looked around, searching for a way to follow him. She would need more proof. Glancing upwards, she saw that there was a ceiling panel that could be moved.

The crimson-eyed woman leapt upwards lightly, shifting the panel and gripping the edge to hoist herself up, hoping that it would bear her weight.

'_At least it didn't collapse,'_ Kurenai thought vaguely once she was above the ceiling, crawling on all fours in the filthy place after replacing the panel. Pausing a moment to be sure of her bearings, she moved silently along the rafters holding the roof up, until she was certain that she was right above the room behind the closed door. Using a kunai, she expertly made a peephole through the ceiling board, and peered down.

N

Kotetsu watched intently as the duo beneath him met at the corridor, subconsciously holding his breath. Danzou and Deidara, in cahoots? What next?

Deidara stood before the older man and looked him straight in the eye, speaking firmly but softly.

"Taiyotsuki,"

'_Sun and moon? Is this a code?'_ the Jounin thought, frowning.

Danzou seemed to hesitate for a moment, before replying. "Chikyusora,"

'_Earth and sky… so it __**is**__ a code, then,'_ Kotetsu's eyes narrowed as he watched the duo carefully.

Danzou looked somewhat perplexed, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't pluck up the courage to say it. He kept quiet.

"We have a slight… problem," Deidara spoke calmly, his expression detached. "Shall we?" he motioned to the corridor leading in.

The older man was tight-lipped, simply giving him a curt nod and walking on, looking like someone who knew that he was about to be executed. Deidara followed.

Kotetsu silently replaced the ceiling board, creeping in the direction where he assumed they were going.

N

There was a man sitting, cross-legged on the floor by the traditional Japanese low table. Kurenai inspected him closely, trying to detect any familiarity in his features or his movements, but she could not recognize him. His Akatsuki cloak lay on the floor beside him in the rather dimly lit room, and he twirled his katana almost carelessly in his right hand.

'_Who __**is**__ he? If Akatsuki has new recruits, that would mean they're planning something… and that doesn't sound good…' _crimson eyes narrowed.

The door leading into the room suddenly opened. At that very moment, Kurenai heard a slight shuffling noise right next to her and sprang up lightly, careful not to make a sound, her kunai in hand. She relaxed when she saw that it was only Kotetsu, grinning at having successfully frightened his superior – even if it was only for a moment.

Kurenai glared at him, returning to spying through her peephole. Beside her, Kotetsu knelt and did the same.

The blonde man Kurenai had not recognized stood up as soon as Danzou and Deidara entered. He didn't look too pleased.

"Is the deal still on, old man?" he demanded, gripping his katana tightly.

"Yes, of course it is," Danzou looked surprised, drawing back.

"Chill, Seijin. You're scaring the pants off him. And please remember who's your superior in here," Deidara sat down and cast the man a sidelong glance, looking nonchalant. "Let me deal with him. As for you, Danzou… we were supposed to obtain the Haruno Scrolls and the two jinchuuriki – and we promised that you would be given Konoha once it has fallen," He poured himself a cup of tea and casually took a sip, looking as if he owned the world. "Yet, the next thing we know, a bunch of brats and the Kazekage beat us to the scrolls. _You_ – were supposed to make sure that didn't happen,"

Danzou felt himself begin to sweat. "I didn't hear of their mission, or I would've prevented it! I had my subordinates provide the wrong information, but you know the Godaime isn't exactly one woman who listens to advice!"

"Well, then you're pretty much useless to us if that's the best you can do," Seijin snapped, irritated.

"You have one more chance," Deidara cut in smoothly, giving Seijin a warning look. "Get the scrolls when those brats get back. Kill them if you have to. But don't touch Haruno and Uzumaki, you hear me?"

Danzou swallowed, then nodded.

"If you fail _that_ – "Seijin spat viciously, obviously still sore from having run away from a bunch of teenage shinobis. "Watch out for your pathetic butt. You don't know just what I'm capable of,"

N

The moment Danzou disappeared into the other building Shizune had mentioned, Iruka darted into the Sakeya again, finding Genma and Izumo trying to figure out how to open the shelves concealing what ever was behind it. A secret passage, perhaps.

Genma found a bottle stuck fast to the shelf, with less dust on it. Examining it closely, he gently twisted the bottle in a counter-clockwise motion. It wouldn't budge. He turned it the other way.

Izumo sprang back in surprise when the shelves began shifting silently. The mechanisms moved smoothly, indicated frequent use, sliding noiselessly to the right.

"Iruka, bird call if you see anyone coming," Genma instructed, glancing at the other man.

"No problem," Iruka gave him a thumbs up. "Hurry up, he might be back any second,"

The two Jounins entered the dark, musty corridor, walking silently. There was nothing particularly striking about the place, save for the fact that there seemed to be rooms on either side of the averagely wide corridor, all boarded up. The place was falling apart, wooden panels missing ins several places and water leaked from some parts of the ceiling.

"It's hard to believe a man like Danzou would walk through this place," Izumo groaned at the stench of stagnant water gathering in pools at their feet, and dead rats. "I mean, looking at him, you'd think he's the kind of old man who prefers a more luxurious life than… well… _this_,"

"You have to remember that he's a pretty tough guy to be in charge of ANBU Root division," Genma explained quietly, examining their surroundings, squinting to see in the dim light. "But he's pretty much bankrupt right now, with Tsunade-sama not trusting him. And if he does any construction or renovation work here, people would get suspicious,"

"I'm guessing where this leads to," Izumo said grimly. They could barely make out a wooden door before them in the dark.

"Here goes," Genma stepped forward and slowly pushed the door open. Both stepped out into a dark room, filled to the brim with junk. Old furniture, chests, large volumes of books and chinaware lay piled up haphazardly, in obvious neglect.

"Is this a storeroom or something?" Izumo slapped the arm of an antique chair beside him and nearly choked when a cloud of dust engulfed him. He sounded like a strangled chicken as he tried not to make a sound.

"Hey, keep quiet," Genma warned, walking towards the doors at the opposite end of the room. Dim rays of light shone through the traditional rice-paper sliding doors, and the Jounin cautiously pulled them open,peering out.

Izumo joined him. "So, is this place what I think it is?"

"Yeah. We're in Danzou's mansion."

N

Kisame growled, involuntarily releasing his grip on the blonde kunoichi. Ino, who had neither chakra nor strength left, fell like a limp doll.

Shikamaru darted forward agilely, catching his teammate in his arms before springing back, out of Kisame's reach. She smiled tiredly up at him, drifting in and out of consciousness. "So… you lazy ass… you finally did something to save my butt, huh…"

"My pleasure," the pineapple-head tried to smirk, but somehow, it came out rather choked.

Ino laughed softly, before her eyelids dropped. "I'm… so… tired…"

Before Shikamaru could say anything else, Ino had already succumbed to sleep. Feeling a slight, reluctant smile curving his lips, the Jounin gently placed her against the trunk of a tree.

"Nara!" a warning voice sounded, and he whirled around, his instincts tingling madly. A very angry Kisame, wielding his huge chakra-absorbent sword, was bearing down upon them.

'Shit!' he swore mentally, eyes darting left and right for an opening to escape. Just then, a taller figure sprang before him, blocking Kisame's path. A certain shinobi with spiky black hair and shades.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you. Your sword is pretty useless right now," a deep, stern voice spoke from behind the high collar.

Kisame halted, looking at his sword instinctively – and nearly dropped it.

The Sameheda was crawling with millions of tiny, black bugs.

N

Sasuke dodged the flying senbon Itachi threw at him with ease, his Sharingan burning with obvious hatred as his eyes kept watch on his brother. The younger Uchiha had resolved to the fact that he needed Naruto to cover his back in this fight, Itachi wasn't the 'genius' Uchiha for nothing. His attacks could spring out of nowhere, and even if it was a genjutsu, every weapon that connected hurt like hell.

"Oi, teme, any ideas yet?" Naruto demanded, backing up against Sasuke, two kunai in hand as he blocked the array of weapons flying towards him. Sweat glistened on his skin, he was dying to unleash the Kyubi on Itachi. Again, only his promise to Sakura kept him from doing so. "You're supposed to be the genius here!"

Sasuke smirked inwardly, despite the fact that he was right in the middle of a battle_. 'I'm going to hold that against you when we get home, dobe. If we get out of this alive,'_

Then he swore. That one thought had been all the distraction Itachi had needed. Sasuke spotted, too late, the exploding tag attached to a kunai that was flying towards him.

"Dobe! Out of the way!" Sasuke shoved Naruto aside as a small explosion took place, and landed several paces behind where he had been standing before. A glint of metal told him that the exploding tag had been yet another ploy. Itachi was sprinting towards his brother with remarkable speed, a sword poised to strike.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed, his grip on his kunai tightening. In a spilt second, he moved.

Sasuke's hand shot out swiftly, his reflexes at work. At the same moment that he caught the oncoming blade in his hand, millimeters away from his skin, metal clashed with metal.

The sharp blade of the katana cut through the fabric covering Sasuke's palm and drew blood. But the Uchiha hardly registered it. His eyes were trained on the three weapons that had clashed. A katana, a kunai, and a specialty blade, glowing with chakra.

"In a rough spot, eh?"

Kakashi and Sasuke looked up in surprise.

Asuma's grinning face stared right back at them.

N

Flames engulfed the surrounding trees as various explosions rocked the ground. Neji and Hinata leapt out of the way in the nick of time, and landed on a safe spot some distance away. It was several moments before Neji noticed the weapons mistress' absence.

"Where's Tenten?" he asked his cousin sharply.

Hinata shook her head, worried.

Neji's eyes narrowed and he swiftly performed a handseal. "Byakugan!"

He scanned the forest, and saw a feminine figure leaping from branch to branch, coming towards them. Neji subconsciously heaved a sigh of relief.

"It was a moment too soon. Just as Tenten came into view and swung over a branch, another smaller explosion occurred, sending jets of flames soaring upwards – right towards the branch the kunoichi was using as her support.

First there was a scream

Then the brown-haired kunoichi fell, plummeting to the ground below, her right arm charred and useless.

Neji's breath caught in his throat, and he leapt forwards.

"TENTEN!"

N

_There. Chapter 21, done. Half of you are probably dying to wring my neck now, but… you're not going to get chapter 22 if you do, so please don't kill me just yet… hehe…_

_So, what did you think? I hope it was good. You might have to refer to the previous chapter if you don't remember details, I'm sorry for the late update…_

_The code between Deidara and Danzou, '__**Taiyotsuki'**__ and '__**Chikyusora**__', literally mean 'Sun and moon' and 'Earth and Sky'. I took those from another story I'm writing because I couldn't think of another code. Hehe…_

_Wait for the next chapter!_

_Chapter 22- The Difference Between Life and Death_

_二十二__-__生死之间的分别_

_Well, that's all! Ciaoz and review, okay?_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	23. Chapter 22: Life and Death

_Wow, just slightly over a week and I've done another chapter for updates! _

_Can't help it, I want to leave you guys on a total cliffhanger before I've to stop posting chapters starting August until October, so there'll be two more chapters and then I've got to go back to studying!!!! Please forgive me and be patient, ne???_

_Well, there's nothing much to say this chapter except that I hope you guys like it! Thanks for all your great reviews and support all this while!_

_Enjoy!!!!_

N

Chapter 22- The Difference Between Life and Death

二十二 – 生和死之间的分别

Sakura stayed in that position for a long while, unmoving and utterly defeated. Her pink locks were dull and matted, her brilliant emerald eyes had lost their usual bright spark, and blood had dried upon her cold, clammy skin, leaving unsightly marks.

Sakura felt cold. So very cold… her frail form shook as she tried to erase the horrible memory from her mind, but it was there, right in front of her, staring at her in the face, not allowing her to forget it. All her friends… the village… the screams… the blood… fire…

"Sasuke," she whispered painfully, hugging herself as she tried not to look at the Uchiha's pale face. 'Sasuke…"

Her cold, trembling fingers, at long last, reached out to touch Sasuke's blank, peaceful face. A sudden jolt of pain coursed through her system, and the cherry blossom let out a soft gasp.

Images began flashing before her frozen emerald eyes, showing her what seemed to be the future. Things that she did not want to see. Rows and rows of coffins… everyone in Konoha was dead, save for her. She was the only one left, alone, burying the dead. Fearful, echoing voices called to her, some pleading her for help, some cursing her inability.

"_Help me… Sakura… help…!"_

"_What were you doing girl? Whimpering, and watching us die?"_

"_How could you, Sakura? You watched us fighting for our lives, and you did nothing!"_

"_Everything's your fault! If you'd been stronger, this would never have happened!"_

The pink-haired kunoichi clutched her head, tears streaming down her face as she tried to convince herself otherwise. _'It's just a genjutsu… nothing happened… it's not my fault… I did nothing wrong!'_

"Open your eyes," a firm, commanding voice ordered, and against her will, Sakura was forced to look up. "Watch!"

She saw herself.

Beaten. Worn. Dead. Her own emerald eyes stared up at her blankly, frozen forever in an expression of shock. There were two Sound nins. Her mirror image was unclothed. They were using her body as their doll, to fulfill their desires.

Yes, it was a dead body, but it was _her_ dead body. Sakura tried to turn away, but she couldn't. an invisible force kept her eyes open and kept her facing the ghastly scene, making her register every detail, every movement. "How – how – could they – " her own voice choked at seeing her own dignity being violated in a way she couldn't bear to imagine – even in death!

The two men were done with her body, laughing with satisfaction as they drew out their weapons.

"Pity we got her dead, eh? Should've been a lot more fun if she was alive, kicking and screaming," one of them mocked a sigh as he traced a finger over her smooth skin. Sakura, watching the scene, nearly threw up. She wanted to scream, she wanted to punch him until every bone in his body was broken, but she couldn't make a sound, she couldn't move.

She knew what they were about to do.

A slash. Then two. More kept raining down upon her lifeless body as the two men tore their blades through the dead girl's skin, grinning like they were having _fun_. Blood spattered through the air, leaving crimson stains upon the ground. They kept at it until her body resembled nothing but bloody pulp, with only her face intact. The rest of her body – was nothing but spilling guts, organs and broken bones.

'Horrible' couldn't even describe the scene. How could anyone watch their own body being mauled like that? Yet Sakura couldn't turn away. A single hand covered her open mouth as her heartbeat raced and bile rose in her throat. She couldn't hold it back anymore, and threw up.

After seven years, Haruno Sakura was about to crumble again.

The image faded, but the memory stayed. The lone, terrified girl remained sitting by Sasuke's body, sobs racking her fragile frame as the tears she had held back for so long spilled out freely.

A slight breeze blew, and a soft, coaxing, musical voice accompanied it, like a siren's song.

"You are the only one left now… wouldn't it be easier if you just end your life? After all, it would be the end of your pain… and you'll be with Sasuke again, won't you?"

Sakura found herself glancing to the right. A kunai lay on the ground, shiny and new, untouched by the grime of battle. Without really registering it, the pink-haired girl picked it up.

Slowly, she lifted the kunai and held it against her neck, poised to cut.

One cut, one quick movement and she would be dead.

The blade drew blood.

A sudden, violent storm lashed out, rainwater soaked through her torn clothes, and washed away the matted blood upon her skin. Lightning danced in bright, thunderous flashes, striking dangerously close to where the pink-haired kunoichi knelt. An invisible force seemed to pull her hand away from her neck, trying to wrench it out of her grasp.

Sakura slowly lowered the blade and lifted her tear-streaked face to the skies. She loved rainstorms. The water that poured down felt so refreshing… everything seemed twice as clear to her emerald eyes, and the sudden wave of clarity that washed over her senses jolted her sharply back to earth.

The cherry blossom dropped the bloodied kunai she was holding in shock, and her left hand reached up to her neck, where a small cut had been made, and blood oozed out freely.

"What… happened…?" she asked herself in confusion, feeling as if she'd just woken up from a long sleep.

'_You got rather… carried away by the genjutsu,'_ her inner self grumbled.

'_Genjutsu…?'_ Sakura was still confused, before realization struck her. _'Itachi… the Mangekyou Sharingan!'_

'_Yeah, __**now**__ you come to your senses. Thank kami, at least you haven't killed yourself yet,'_ the annoying voice in her head said mockingly. _'Now __**please**__ get your butt out of here because this place is giving me the creeps,'_

For once, Sakura welcomed the little voice at the back of her head, even if it annoyed her like hell. At least its presence was a comfort. And her inner self was scared? That was something new…

Sakura smiled slightly, even though it came out rather like a grimace. Reaching for the kunai again, she braced herself and plunged it into her upper thigh.

N

The raven-haired Uchiha didn't know why, but a burning, furious sensation was coursing through his veins. He had carelessly allowed Itachi's sword to nearly strike him – and only weak people were careless. Carelessness was something he couldn't afford right now. Not when –

His gaze fell upon Sakura, who had suddenly thrown up, coughing and choking. Every muscle in his body wanted to move in her direction, but he had unfinished business with his brother. The skin of his palm prickled as blood seeped out, staining the black fabric serving to cushion his hands. At least it was his left hand. If it had been his sword arm, this battle would be over.

Sasuke soon realized, however, that being weak wasn't what he was furious about. There was a vicious, churning feeling in his system, his adrenaline level rose rapidly. Someone was going to get hurt, and preferably, that someone would be Itachi.

The Uchiha growled at his brother as the four males held their ground in a silent battle, blades against sword and sword against flesh. The adrenaline charge in Sasuke's body was inexplicable – and for the first time in his life, Sasuke almost understood just _why_ Naruto always won his battles – even after being mauled for the hundredth time. Perhaps it was because of this feeling, this emotion that made him feel stronger than he had ever felt. Like he could do _anything_.

His palm had begun to hurt badly. Deciding that it wasn't worth the risk, Sasuke yanked his hand off the katana blade and swiftly leapt upwards, using Asuma and Kakashi's outstretched arms as a lever and swung himself across just as Itachi's sword thrust forward, before moving upwards in a quick slashing motion. Sasuke avoided it narrowly and aimed a kick at Itachi.

The older Uchiha swerved. Sasuke had anticipated that. Swiftly twisting his lithe body to the left, he managed a slash down Itachi's back – only to have him disappear.

'_Kage bunshin… damn!'_ Sasuke swore quietly, adjusting himself to land on his feet. Itachi was on his left. Probably another bunshin, but Sasuke couldn't take any chances with that. He didn't have time to create bunshin of his own, he would leave that to Naruto. Darting to the left, he thrust his sword at Itachi, but the bunshin easily avoided the attack and threw a punch at Sasuke – hitting him on the face.

Five of Naruto's kage bunshins were scattered around the clearing, whopping every single one of Itachi's look-alikes that they could find. But Itachi hadn't become a Jounin at thirteen for nothing – for every twenty punches Naruto threw, it was either Itachi got hit once, or Naruto himself was pummeled twice as hard. _'Even his bunshins are up to his par,'_ Naruto thought grimly, receiving yet another blow to his stomach.

"Come out here you cowardly bastard! I know you're not among these bunshins!" Naruto hollered, mad. He hated people who snuck out of a fight leaving their bunshin behind.

Sasuke stayed silent and focused on finding the real Itachi among the thirty-plus bunshin that surrounded him. Naruto was probably right, Itachi would've left his bunshins to do the work until his little brother got tired out. Spurred by anger, the younger Uchiha moved twice as quickly, disposing of bunshins with lightning speed. In a blur of movement, ten bunshins were down.

He knew the sole weakness of the Sharingan was its high chakra consumption. If Itachi had used the advanced Mangekyou Sharingan and the Kage Bunshin Technique, he should be running low on chakra – this would be Sasuke's advantage.

'_Found him!'_ Sasuke thought victoriously, as his lightning chakra-enhanced sword met real flesh. But it was just a small cut compared to what Itachi could, and would do to him once the older man started taking this battle seriously.

Itachi successfully avoided Sasuke's blows, but he could tell that his younger brother was no longer to be underestimated. His speed could almost match Itachi's own, but it was the spark of viciousness in every move that made Sasuke dangerous right now.

'_Hn. He does care about that girl, doesn't he?'_ Itachi thought smugly, dodging an uppercut. _'I'll have to do something about that…'_

Thoughts were the worst distraction. In seconds Sasuke had managed a slash down Itachi's back, tearing through his Akatsuki cloak and drawing blood. The raven-haired younger Uchiha growled. It was, again, another cut that was only skin deep, unable to do much harm. Not even halting to survey the damage done, Sasuke darted to the right and dealt another blow to Itachi's left cheek, sending the man reeling backwards despite an attempt to block the punch.

"He sure is giving his brother a harder time than _we_ ever did," Asuma watched, an eyebrow raised.

"Itachi used the Sharingan too much," Kakashi observed quietly, watching the two brothers attempting to kill each other. "He should've been out a long time ago, using both the Mangekyou and Kage Bunshin jutsu like that,"

"But Itachi isn't your average Uchiha, is he now?" Asuma cocked his head sideways. "I remember him from ANBU… that guy kills without blinking – half a dozen Mist shinobis out in less than three minutes,"

"KAKASHI-" Sasuke yelled, dodging Itachi's sword before executing a perfect roundhouse kick, backed by Naruto. "-WATCH SAKURA YOU _IDIOT_!"

The two men whirled around in alarm – and spotted the cherry blossom, with her eyes closed, in a sitting position, lifting a kunai that had dropped to the ground – and raising it to her neck.

Kakashi skidded forward on his knees, grabbing hold of Sakura's hand in a steel grip. Asuma held her down by the shoulders firmly to make sure she couldn't struggle.

Blood seeped down from a small gash upon her neck, she had cut herself. Kakashi swore, Sakura's strength was hard to fight. "Dammit! He's trying to make her kill herself!"

"He was serious when he said that this was an advanced version of the Mangekyou," Asuma growled. "That bastard… he's even found a way to transfer the effects of his genjutsu into real life… do you think we can use 'kai' for this? Kurenai mentioned something about a release technique that could work on the Mangekyou, but I never found out more about it…"

"Knowing Sakura, she'll be fighting the genjutsu, so maybe the normal release technique might help. But the Mangekyou genjutsu… no human had ever survived it yet," Kakashi released Sakura's hand, she'd stopped struggling. But before he could stop her, she drove the kunai into her own thigh. The Copy nin smiled slightly. She was fighting.

"Well, she's no 'ordinary human'," Asuma chuckled. "At any rate, Kakashi, we've got to do something. And I don't think we'll be losing Konoha's Cherry Blossom to death anytime soon,"

The silver-haired Jounin raised an eyebrow. Asuma smiled lopsidedly.

"Darn it. I sounded like Gai, didn't I?"

"You have _no_ idea. C'mon," Kakashi shifted to kneel behind the pink-haired kunoichi, and both men placed a hand each on Sakura' shoulders while forming their handseals. With a swift glance at each other, they shut their eyes tightly.

"Kai!"

N

A certain Hyuuga prodigy's arm caught the falling kunoichi by the waist swiftly, while leaping out of the way of yet another small explosion, panting heavily.

Neji's opaque eyes scanned Tenten's limp body for vital signs, and he was slightly relieved to see that her chakra was channeling to her charred right arm. But he knew that she was no medic nin, and that her own chakra was simply not sufficient for healing.

"Hinata," Neji breathed, fighting to stay calm. "Can you – heal this?"

"I could try, but I'm not sure," Hinata looked worried, pulling off the weapons mistress' hitai-ate and stroking Tenten's sweaty forehead. "I still think that getting Sakura-chan to heal it will be safest,"

Neji nodded, turning to look for Sakura while holding his unconscious teammate securely in his arms. A sudden instinct made him whirl around – his eyes widened as he saw a dark, charred figure staggering towards them at a considerable speed, a dagger held aloft.

"Why isn't he dead _yet_?" Neji spoke through clenched teeth, preparing to defend. But he never got the chance.

Hinata swerved and placed herself between her cousin and Hakujo. Her opaque eyes flashed dangerously with an unusual spark of viciousness as she braced herself for Kaiten, but the expected blow never came.

"Baika no Jutsu!"

A large, spinning thing shot out of the forest, crashing into an opposite tree before slamming into the startled Hakujo. He collapsed and disappeared under the huge mass crushing him with a strangled cry.

"Chouji-san!" Hinata spoke with a mixture of surprise and relief, bowing slightly to say her thanks as the shinobi decreased in size to reveal a mop of reddish-brown hair and a chubby face.

"Nasty piece of work," The Akimichi heir dusted himself, glaring at Hakujo's broken, motionless body in distaste. "Hinata-san, Neji-san… what happened?" he caught sight of Tenten's limp form in Neji's arms.

"We'll explain later. We need to get Tenten to Sakura fast," the Hyuuga prodigy spoke urgently, turning to leave. "Arigatou, Chouji-san,"

"No problem, but you'll be better off having Hinata-san heal Tenten first," the chubby boy said darkly. Hinata and Neji glanced at him, confused.

"I just passed Team 7 battling Itachi. Sakura's been trapped in that traitor's Mangekyou Sharingan genjutsu – he says – he says that she won't live,"

The two Hyuugas froze.

Losing two teammates now was something they couldn't think about. Hinata closed her eyes, shaking slightly.

"Tenten… Sakura…"

Unbeknownst to the trio, Hakujo was shakily standing. He had about half his arms broken by Chouji's attack, he was suffering from first-degree burns from the explosives, but his hatred, his desire to kill, kept him alive.

Once again, he charged towards Hinata, his dagger still clutched tightly in his right hand – the only hand he could now use.

"Hina – " Neji let out a warning call, but the Hyuuga heiress was already facing Hakujo, angry tears stinging her opaque eyes as she moved.

The kunoichi darted forward, dodged the clumsy dagger easily and dealt a single, killing blow to Hakujo's neck, breaking it.

The exiled Hyuuga slumped to the ground, lifeless. His face was frozen in shock. Hinata's tears were contained no longer – when she had been taught to deal that blow, she had never wanted to use it. But she had no choice. When she spoke, her voice was a low, vicious hiss.

"_**Die**_,"

N

"Oh, c'mon, you've got to be kidding me," Kisame mocked, chuckling. "Bugs? Is that really the best you can do?"

Shino merely glanced at him from behind his shades, completely unaffected.

"And what makes you think you know my attacks?" the black-haired boy asked indifferently, hands in his pockets and his head cocked slightly to one side.

"Aw, shut up, kid,"

Kisame lifted the Sameheda, and brought it down upon the motionless shinobi. Shino didn't budge. The sword halted in mid-air, unable to penetrate any futhur, regardless of how much strength Kisame used. The shark-faced man glanced up in utter surprise.

Shino's bugs, after having quickly and efficiently absorbed the chakra in the Sameheda, had formed a barely visible, shimmering chakra protection shield just between the passive boy and the angry Akatsuki member.

"You – " Kisame started angriy, but quickly backed off when the black bugs scampered towards him, searching for an opening to attack. He grudgingly admitted to himself that the boy was right, he couldn't underestimate his attacks before he knew how they worked.

Meanwhile, behind Shino, Shikamaru discreetly whispered a plan to the four remaining boys – Sai, Gaara, Kiba and Lee. When he finished his instructions, all four nodded curtly to him and quietly took up their positions.

Shikamaru shook Ino, trying to wake her. The blonde girl stirred, rubbing her eyes groggily. "Ugh… what…?"

"Stay awake, Ino," the Nara genius ordered, pulling her up. "You've got to look for the Hyuugas and Tenten – there was an explosion and I think they may be involved. Go help them, okay? After that, rejoin the rest of them, or report back to us here,"

The kunoichi still looked pale, flexing her arms to get her blood circulation going, but her eyes had its alert spark restored. "Yes, Captain," she smiled tiredly. "You guys can handle this?" she motioned to Kisame.

"Don't worry, we've got a few moves of our own, even though this is troublesome," the Nara genius faked a yawn.

Ino playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck, genius," she said quietly before darting off through the trees.

Shikamaru rejoined the boys, a slight smile hidden.

N

Sakura could feel the jolting pain coursing through her thigh, but somehow, that wasn't enough to dispel the illusion. Quickly forming the required handseals, the cherry blossom prepared to execute 'kai', but a sudden, deep voice, devoid of emotion, interrupted her.

"Trying to escape, Haruno?"

Emerald eyes, filled with fury, met Itachi's black stare. The older Uchiha stood some distance away from her, his face porcelain-smooth. Their gazes remained connected, with unspoken emotions conveyed through the intense stare-down.

"It's impossible,"

"I don't believe in the impossible,"

"Funny, you gave me a different impression when you were so close to giving up just a few moments ago,"

"I made a mistake,"

Sakura let out a small gasp. Itachi had suddenly appeared right in front of her, dangerously close. From the corner of her eye, she could just see the glinting tip of a sword.

She tried to move, but her body was frozen.

"You're making more mistakes if you think you can get out of here," the Uchiha said in an eerily soft voice, pressing against her as one hand snaked around her waist and held her close. "The only way out – is death,"

"I'm not going to die here," Sakura drew a shaky breath, aching to pull away from Itachi, he was holding her too close for comfort. But again, she couldn't move. "Because I don't believe that it's impossible to get out,"

Itachi chuckled in a low voice, leaning into her and bending down slightly to place a kiss on her neck before pressing his face against the side of hers, making her shiver involuntarily. "I'd like to see you try," he whispered flatly into her ear.

Then he drew back quickly, still holding her by the waist. In a single, swift, thrusting motion, he plunged the sword through her heart.

Her eyes widened, blood spurted out of the wound. A scream of pain escaped her lips, but she was quickly silenced by Itachi's hand over her mouth and nose, blocking her airways.

"Don't scream, Sakura. Keep all the pain inside,"

He stabbed again. She jolted, excruciating pain torturing her body.

She could not scream.

"Can you… feel it? Isn't pain wonderful?"

Yet another stab.

Sakura crumpled, but Itachi held her limp body upright, against him.

"I'll rip your heart apart,"

The blade drove right through her body again.

Now, her body was shuddering, a muffled moan escaped her clamped lips.

"I told you. It's useless to resist,"

He drew the blade lightly down the nape of her neck, drawing fresh blood, smearing her skin and tearing her uniform. The cherry blossom had tried, several times, to summon her strength, but every bit of it seemed to have left her completely.

The pain soon numbed out all other sensation as Itachi dropped his sword and grabbed hold of her hands, forcing the girl to turn her back to him while twisting her hands behind her back.

It was a miracle that Sakura was still alive, but that was the point of genjutsu. It tortured a person to the brink of insanity before killing them. Itachi wasn't done with her yet.

"You saw what those Sound nins did to your dead body, didn't you? Before they cut it to pieces?" he asked softly, caressing her skin. "I can do that too… but perhaps I won't. It'll probably break Sasuke's heart, won't it?" he smirked, using his knee to brace Sakura's back.

Sakura felt sick again. It might be an illusion, but every part of her that Itachi had touched with his sickening intimacy felt raw to her. It felt real. Like a living nightmare. Her head hung limply, she instinctively knew what was going to happen next, but again, she was powerless to fight it.

With a swift, powerful tug, Itachi yanked the cherry blossom's arms until he heard a satisfying 'crack'. The same method of torture Sasuke had used on one of the Sound nins they'd met at the Chunin exam, so long ago.

Sakura whimpered, hot tears rushing down her bloodied face as her broken arms fell limply to her sides, providing no support while Itachi simply let her fall to her knees. She was powerless against her captor, and she knew it.

Warm, rusty liquid rushed into her mouth, and nearly choking, Sakura began coughing uncontrollably – coughing up blood. Itachi towered over her, watching the suffering girl kneeling at his feet, his face blank.

"I always won over Sasuke when we were young," he spoke flatly. "He could never, and will never be able to beat me in anything,"

"Arro-gant- much - ?" Sakura spat weakly, between bouts of coughing. Her chest wounds hurt immensely.

Itachi ignored her. "I'm the kind of person who will resort to any means to win… and since you mean so much to my brother – I will kill you – to break him,"

Sakura felt her anger rising to a dangerous level. "I- mean- noth-ing- to- to him!" blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and Sakura suddenly began to feel dizzy. She'd lost too much blood.

"Oh, you do," Itachi smirked. "This is my genjutsu – and I'm in control, you pathetic kunoichi,"

Amidst all her pain and her blurred mind, Sakura somehow realized that Itachi was trying to coax her to use the Nanabi's strength, to allow him an opening to weaken her even more in the process.

Her body shaking, Sakura bit her lip, her eyes tightly shut.

'_My arms… I need to heal my arms…'_

She was out of chakra, so there would be only one way out.

'_Nanabi,'_ she whispered to the dormant demon within her._ 'Help me,'_

'_I was wondering when you were going to ask,'_ the demon phoenix smirked. _'Don't worry. I suppose you'll only allow me to heal your arms?'_

Without waiting for a response, the seven-tailed Bijuu sent out a light wave of healing chakra to Sakura's limp arms.

N

"Kakashi!" Asuma spoke sharply as he felt warm liquid coming into contact with his hands. "Whatever Itachi's doing to her in this genjutsu, it's killing her!"

The silver-haired Jounin, who had been trying to dispel the genjutsu, looked down at Sakura, suddenly jolted by a spray of blood and her piercing scream that stopped just as abruptly as it had started.

Deep gashes appeared on her body, as if there was someone really stabbing her – again and again, with no mercy. Both Jounins watched in horror as Sakura's body shuddered, a gash was slowly drawn down her neck, and a moment later, there was a loud, sickening 'crack'. Sakura's rigid arms went limp.

Then she started coughing. Bouts of blood. Fine crimson droplets sprayed upon the earthen ground.

"We have to keep on trying," Kakashi said grimly, drawing a long breath. "Or she definitely won't live,"

N

Itachi stared at the girl at his feet, who seemed to have quietened down a little. He smirked inwardly. _'Pathetic… dead already?'_

Before he registered it, a fist shot up, slammed into the bottom of his chin, and sent him flying some distance away. The pink-haired girl stood slowly, clutching her crudely-healed chest, a spark a fury dancing in her emerald eyes.

Itachi stood unsteadily, his eyes narrowed at her, yet holding just the slightest trace of bewilderment. "You – "

"Pain, Itachi," Sakura said quietly, every word she spoke hurting her. "Pain dispels illusions. You got so caught up with torturing me you forgot about that, didn't you?"

The cherry blossom could feel a certain force tugging at her, trying to release her from the genjutsu. Someone was trying to help her, back in the real world. She would have to do her part if she wanted to ever get out of this nightmarish world.

Shakily forming her handseals, Sakura tried to ignore the stab wounds hurting her immensely. She just wanted to leave. Forget this illusion ever happened to her. Forget the Sound nins raping her dead body. Forget Itachi, touching her.

"Kai!"

Her world turned blur for a moment, blotting out Itachi's pale, emotionless face, before coming back into focus. Every part of her body hurt, she could only manage to heal her wounds rather crudely. Everything seemed to spin around her for another few moments and Sakura took a deep, shuddering breath to steady herself and regain her balance.

Itachi broke away from his fight and stood, staring at the pink-haired kunoichi defiantly staring at him with hate-filled eyes. He knew how much pain he'd caused her. Heck, he _enjoyed_ doing it. He enjoyed watching her crumble, testing her strength and immunity to emotional issues.

And he was rather surprised that she'd passed his test. Not very happy about the fact that a mere kunoichi had just discredited his fatal genjutsu, though.

His blood red eyes narrowed.

Naruto was watching her with his mouth open. The kind of wounds she had… with that amount of blood lost… Sakura should be in a coma! Sasuke himself stared at the scene with a blank expression, as if frozen.

Kakashi and Asuma stepped back cautiously. They definitely knew Sakura's outburst symptoms – and they _definitely_ did not want to be in the way of an angry kunoichi – the Godaime Hokage had taught them that much with her fist.

For several moments, the only sound that could be heard was Sakura's heavy breathing as she fought to stay upright and conscious. When she spoke, her voice was cold, like icy daggers, slicing through the tense air, flat and devoid of emotion.

"You wanted to kill me?" she asked softly, dangerously, fists clenched.

Itachi stared back with equally passive features, not flinching. The cherry blossom continued, her voice ringing with a deadly tone that sent shivers up the spines of all those who heard it.

"You're messing with the wrong girl, Uchiha,"

N

_YEA!!! Chapter 22 done! Finally! This update was really fast, ne??? Hehe… I'll be updating for this month and next, two more chapters until I'll stop for three months – exams coming – and you guys will see me again in October! _

_Oh, and did anyone enter the AnimaxAwards contest??? I did, but I'm not sure that mine was good, it was really hurried! ; haha… can't wait for the regional results end of June!_

_Okay, next chapter:_

_Chapter 23- Silence_

_二十三 – 肃静_

_Review! See you guys next chapter!!!!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	24. Chapter 23: Silence

_**YEAH IT'S FINALLY DONE!!!!!!!!!! **_

_This chapter is dedicated to __**PinkBlossem**__ – my 600__th__ reviewer! I'm so happy!!!!!!! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed!_

_Chapter 23! –wipes away sweat in exhaustion- haha…. I'm so happy…. Especially with the amount of wonderful reviews I got for the last chapter! My readers totally rock, yo! Well… I better not keep you guys waiting any longer, I don't wanna get punched. So…._

_Enjoy this!_

N

Chapter 23- Silence

二十三- 肃静

"Shino!" Shikamaru called out, informing the shinobi that they had a plan with a simple, agreed-upon hand gesture. Shino understood. He swiftly leapt out of the attack range, his bugs scurrying after him.

The black-haired boy stood facing Kisame calmly from a distance, his partially-shielded face revealing nothing, as was the usual. One special trait that few people noticed about the Aburame was his incredible capability to keep a passive face without anyone assuming that he was hostile. That was exactly what he did now, watching the Akatsuki member from behind his shades with a completely relaxed pose.

"Chickened out?" Kisame asked dryly, but kept his guard up. There was something about this particular shinobi that made him uneasy, and he didn't want to find out what it was.

Shino himself kept quiet, watching his teammates from the corner of his eye while using his scampering bugs as a distraction to fool his opponent into thinking that his next attack was coming.

Shikamaru, Sai, Gaara and Kiba had placed themselves strategically around the unsuspecting Akatsuki member, some distance away as not to alert him. They glanced momentarily at each other, all fully prepared to execute the plan Shikamaru had in mind. Lee poised himself, behind them. He would act as backup.

With a slight nod from their strategist, Shino sent his black bugs towards Kisame, crawling up his feet and cloak to serve as a distraction. Kisame wasn't _afraid_ of the bugs, but you know that feeling of when bugs are scampering up your skin.

While the shark-faced man was trying not to wince from the tingling sensation on his skin, and trying to focus on the shinobi instead, Shino discreetly slipped away from the scene, preparing to withdraw his bugs once his teammates had started their jutsu.

The four boys in the circle exchanged glances again, their faces now set. They would start.

"Osae tsukeru: domu keimusho!" (1)

All four slammed their open palms upon the earthen ground simultaneously, making the ground shake rather violently as a vibrant, silvery, shimmering dome of chakra swiftly built up with such speed it was impossible to escape, and trapping Kisame within.

He was unperturbed, obviously thinking that he would be able to escape. After all, the Sameheda absorbed chakra. Had these amateur shinobis forgotten that? With a slight smirk, Kisame raised his huge sword in a quick, slashing motion.

Nothing happened.

"Your chakra absorbent sword is useless in there," Sai glanced at him with blank eyes, eyes that reminded Kisame of Itachi's. The kind of eyes that, even though he'd never admit it, creeped him out. Sai continued, still staring at him. "The inside layer of this dome is made out of sand and special ink particles,"

Kisame started indignantly, but quickly leapt aside when he spotted a shadow trailing stealthily along the ground. He stayed at the spot where he figured Shikamaru's shadow length could not reach, and tried to remember what he had heard about the Nara ability to manipulate shadows.

A rather useless technique, he'd used to think. Maybe he would be taking back his words after this. They said that this boy was a genius, too.

Then Shikamaru's shadow stopped. Kisame grinned, as people always do when they _think_ they've won. "Too bad you can't grow any taller right away, eh?" the Akatsuki member cocked his head to one side, observing Shikamaru's face, scrunched in concentration.

The Nara genius did not reply, smirking inwardly. _'Idiot… I expected more from him,' _

Already another shadow was trailing behind Kisame. The shark-faced man caught his momentary glance to his right and sprang aside – the shadow behind missing him by millimeters.

Kisame glanced back at Shikamaru's sweaty face, looking somewhat smug now. They couldn't keep up the chakra dome forever, he knew that. He only had to keep moving.

'_Crap!'_ Kisame swore in his mind. The shadow had shot forward again. In a quick thrust, he planted his sword upright in the ground and leapt upwards to perch atop it.

'_It's either a stroke of luck, or he knows that my shadow manipulation doesn't work on inanimate objects,'_ Shikamaru thought with a raised eyebrow. _'But no matter. He was trapped from the start,'_

"Can't catch me?" Kisame perched casually on his sword, looking down.

The smug expression froze on his face. The rest of him froze, too. Literally.

Shikamaru released his handseal satisfactorily. "The forest has trees," he spoke absently, waving his hand at their surroundings. Kisame was forced to do the same, but grudgingly deadpanned a retort. "I knew that,"

The Nara genius took no notice of his words, and continued. "The trees have shadows,"

"But you didn't – " Kisame started. He knew full well that Shikamaru had not used any of the trees' shadows to trap him.

"The chakra dome has a shadow too,"

The Akatsuki member fell silent, stunned. He'd been trapped, from the very beginning, and he was so preoccupied with noticing the obvious he had failed to account for the hidden traps.

Shikamaru calmly motioned to his teammates, it was their turn now.

"Sabaku no kaze: suna wo kiru!" (2)

The young Kazekage shifted slightly to the left, sand overflowing from his gourd. In a fleeting hand movement, he clenched his fist and manipulated the sand into long, sharp needles that dove through the chakra barrier with ease, before aiming themselves at the motionless shark-faced man. A barely visible chakra shield had formed around Kisame, but the man himself knew it was weak.

Gaara muttered a soft "Release,", and the sharp sand needles went flying, piercing through the black cloak, probably meeting flesh. Shikamaru timed his jutsu release perfectly, and avoided being harmed himself.

Kisame made no sound, nor did his face betray any emotion. He was thinking.

Thinking, but not getting any results.

Sai took his cue and grabbed two scrolls from his pack, Shino moving in silently beside Kiba as the animal specialist knelt down by his white ninja dog, preparing for his turn.

The ANBU Root member flung open his scrolls and formed his handseals, and their surroundings were silent – for a moment.

With a roar, the graceful forms of two black tigers erupted majestically out from the flat surface of Sai's scrolls. The two inked animals stood on both sides of their master, awaiting their instructions while baring their teeth at the prisoner trapped within the chakra dome.

Sai summoned another five of his falcons,that swooped around him, their sharp beaks clearly visible. Even their wings seemed to have sharpened tips, and their glassy eyes eyed Kisame threateningly.

He swiftly motioned them forward. "Tora-taka: mettagiri suru!" (3)

As Gaara's sand had done before, the seven inked animals leapt through the chakra dome easily. The two tigers pounced upwards, dragging the Sameheda – and Kisame – down, while the falcons dived steeply towards their prey. The sharp tips of their wings, beaks and claws dug through fabric and flesh, drawing crimson blood with surprising ferocity for abstract animals.

Blood was spattered upon the ground, Kisame stumbled blindly, groping for his fallen sword while keeping silent, unwilling to let this bunch of amateur shinobis see him showing weakness.

Shikamaru's Kagemane no Jutsu was no longer controlling him, and Kisame saw more openings to escape the madhouse of inked animals as he easily dodged them, but the Kazekage stepped in, closing his eyes.

A tornado of sand rose in the dome, obstructing Kisame's view and giving Sai's animals openings to attack. The tiny grains of sand spun around wildly, just like a snowy scene in a glass orb. The shinobis, safe beyond the walls of the dome, watched silently, thinking their own thoughts.

Kisame could feel the sting of the sand beating on him wildly, the small grains flying into his eyes plus those inked animals attacking him didn't help much, either. Maybe – maybe he could tunnel through the ground…?

The Nara genius glanced at Kiba, to his left. The animal specialist grinned with a thumbs up, and motioned to Lee. Both were ready. Shino took Kiba's place to maintain the dome, while Kiba and Akamaru sported their razor-sharp claws and began tunneling downwards, with Lee following closely behind. They soon disappeared.

Shikamaru waited several moments, until he heard a low whine. He motioned to Gaara and Sai.

"Enough,"

Slowly, the tornado stopped, and the inked animals disappeared into their scrolls after receiving a pat on the head from their master. When Kisame's hunched, still silhouette could finally be seen, Shino nodded to Shikamaru, and the Jounin let out a warning call.

"NOW!"

The chakra dome dissolved, and at that very moment, Kiba and Lee burst out from underground and delivered powerful, upward punch-downward slam combos, sending Kisame flying.

"Inuzuka doku hanone!" (4)

Akamaru leapt up, his large jaws grabbing hold of Kisame's collar and flinging him towards Kiba and Lee – but not before Kisame had managed to draw the jagged edges of his sword down Akamaru's side, drawing blood. The ninja dog fell heavily to the ground, whining.

Lee, burning with fury, slammed into Kisame's body again, not even bothering to use the Lotus. He just put everything he had into that single attack.

Kiba was staring at Akamaru, paralyzed with shock. He turned slowly as Kisame's bloodied body crashed onto the ground, his eyes holding a vicious spark seldom seen.

Without a word, he caught the Akatsuki member by the shoulders and hauled him up, anger radiating off him. His claw-like fingers dug into flesh, making the shark faced man drop his sword. Kiba flung him against a tree, pulling out poisoned kunais before lodging them in various parts of Kisame's body.

Then Kisame's body disappeared, replaced by a log.

Kiba was on the verge of erupting now. Lee caught him by the arm, shaking his head warningly while motioning towards Akamaru.

Kiba spun around, his fists clenched as he skidded forward, bending over his dog, his face contorted in worry.

"Akamaru…"

The white dog let out a soft whine in response, shuddering as it took a deep breath. The gash was deep. Very deep.

Kiba could only stroke Akamaru's bloodstained fur silently, not knowing what to do, what to say.

N

Healing chakra engulfed Sakura's frame as she stood shakily, before lifting her eyes to focus on the Uchiha murderer. Itachi shook his head slightly, trying to brush off the sudden shock he had received. This girl…

Sakura stood there for a long while, silent, but words couldn't possibly convey the amount of anger she felt, watching Itachi standing before her so nonchalantly, as if he didn't care, as if nothing had happened. How could anyone – _anyone_ – act like that?

"You – _sick_ – murderer!" Sakura lashed out suddenly in a hiss, a strange, new, vicious spark dancing in her emerald eyes. She radiated a sort of dangerous, deadly fury that frankly, none of her friends had ever thought her capable of. They'd always thought of Sakura as the smiling pink-haired medic nin who lost her temper occasionally – never to this extent.

Itachi's Sharingan widened slightly as its user realized that a wave of invisible chakra was speeding towards him, accompanied by a fierce gush of sudden wind that whipped at his cloak.

'_But – she didn't use any handseals!'_ a wild thought ran through his mind. _'And I would have seen her if it was a bunshin…'_

The pink haired kunoichi was still standing a few feet away from him, never moving. Rigid. But her eyes…

Itachi suddenly doubted that his Sharingan was one of the strongest eye-based bloodlines around. Those eyes… if there were eyes that could freeze people with a glare, it would be those eyes. They weren't any shade of blue, but those emerald eyes – they were icy. Anger, hatred, pure fury – all melted into one.

He wasn't afraid though. The Uchiha Itachi was never afraid. He just felt a sense of amazement at this girl, and coming from him, that was something.

Then he realized that he was frozen. How ironic. In a few moments, he felt movement returning to him, but his body froze again. It was like a TV. If someone pushed a button he would freeze, and unfreeze again at the push of another button. And if the controller felt like it, he would be frozen, unfrozen, frozen, unfrozen, frozen… in a never ending circle. Alternating –

'_Wait – '_ a sharp thought rang in his mind, and the truth struck him. _'Alternating reality…?'_

It was a simple concept. Alternating between the world of reality and the world of illusions, to confuse the victim and drive him or her to desperation. Because for a moment, what you saw could be a genjutsu, and the next it would be a real thing. Itachi had worked on that theory for awhile now, but it was a difficult thing to master – it would take a lot of chakra, stamina and perfect timing.

So. Had this pink-haired kunoichi achieved what he had not, or was it out of sheer fury that she managed to do it?

Itachi preferred the second theory.

Sakura remained standing before him, but a sudden convulsion in his gut confirmed his guess about the 'alternating reality' technique – and told him something that he had always believed not possible.

He, Uchiha Itachi, was trapped in a genjutsu.

With no way out.

N

The cherry blossom swiftly darted to the left and snatched Sasuke's long sword from his slackened grip, and before he could stop her, she was sprinting towards his motionless brother, the look on her face utterly incomprehensible.

Sasuke's Sharingan had previously seen the invisible wave of chakra rushing at Itachi, but he saw no effect – only the mild change in expression on his brother's face. What had she done…?

And – why wasn't Itachi dodging? A sickening sound filled the air as the blade drove into flesh, blood spattering through the air.

"Teme…?" Naruto whispered almost fearfully, glancing sideways at Sasuke. Sakura – what was happening?

"GO TO HELL, ITACHI!" Sakura lashed out, driving the blade of the sword around wildly, occasionally hitting her target. She felt a burning desire within her to kill, to maul the pathetic man standing motionless before her. It was as if a whole new personality had emerged, and Sakura had no control over her anger nor her actions.

"You've been playing your stupid mind games with Sasuke for so long, you've killed your own clan for your own sick reasons, you've ruined so many lives and I've had enough!" Sakura screamed at him, her blade never pausing, never slowing down.

"All those horrible things you made me see – those of the future you intend – everyone from your home village killed, everything ruined, everything gone – children killed just like that – making me watch my dead body being – being – " the cherry blossom let out an exasperated shriek, painfully remembering his touch, and the Sound nins -

She couldn't say the word. With a ferocious stab, her sword went right through Itachi's shoulder blades, breaking his arm.

"WHAT IS _WRONG_ WITH YOU?"

Her scream resounded through the clearing, and the cherry blossom crumpled, tears streaming down her face.

"I have no family! My brother died, and everything was taken away from me! You have a brother – you had a perfectly fine family, and you chose to destroy it all!"

Sakura's alternating genjutsu lost its effect due to her sudden loss of concentration. But Itachi had heard every word. He winced slightly as his body regained movement and the full effect of his wounds could be felt, but his face remained passive.

"Tell me," the Uchiha said, suddenly and quietly. "Do I look like I care?"

Sakura lifted her gaze to meet his, and Sasuke caught sight of murderous intent in her fiery emerald eyes, but there was something else – something that made him, even, shudder involuntarily.

_Bloodlust_.

Sakura truly wanted to kill. He could see it, as if something within her had snapped and anger had taken over, while Sakura's calmer, composed side was lost somewhere in that sea of murderous intent. Her face clearly spelt that hell was about to break loose.

"SAKURA!" Naruto and Kakashi yelled simultaneously as the kunoichi leapt forward, her katana poised. They darted forward to restrain her. She would regret her actions later, if they let her continue. But Sakura wasn't the Godaime's apprentice for nothing. In a swift blur of movement, they were thrown across the clearing and crashed into trees.

Blade met flesh again as Sakura drove the sword through Itachi's upper torso, twisting it brutally. If Itachi had not swerved slightly just then, the blade would've pierced his heart. But that made no difference to Sakura, with pure fury etched into her face.

"Let's see how much you care when you're dying," she hissed at him, pushing the sword in deeper.

Sasuke had seen enough. Seeing Itachi killed was his wish, but watching Sakura do it like some psychopath was something he couldn't stand. Sprinting forward, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her off the ground, pulling her back.

"Stop it now, Sakura!"

"Let me kill him!"

"I said stop it!"

"You just want to kill him yourself, don't you! Let – me – _go_!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING SO STOP IT RIGHT _NOW_!"

"NO!"

"**DAMMIT** SAKURA!"

He twisted her around roughly to face him, prying her hands off the sword. Without warning, he clamped his lips over hers.

N

Sakura froze, shocked emerald eyes staring into his onyx ones as they broke apart. She crumpled to her knees, still staring at him in utter shock. Behind them, Naruto gaped while Kakashi grinned and Asuma grumbled.

"Told ya," the silver-haired Jounin mouthed. "You owe me 2000 yen, Asuma,"

Asuma glared at him.

Sasuke didn't hear them, or he would've been furious at the fact that he'd just been betted on by his two senseis. He simply knelt before the cherry blossom, speaking quietly, not even knowing why he said those words.

"He's not worth _your_ time,"

She was shaking all over as she glanced past Sasuke at Itachi, taking in his horrible state, then at Kakashi and Naruto, who looked badly bruised, and realization hit home. Sakura dropped the bloody sword, staring at her hands in shock and disgust as hot tears brimmed in her eyes. She'd just tried to kill someone in cold blood, without knowing, or registering how she did it.

"Stay away from me!" she shrieked, scrambling away from Sasuke and her friends, pushing away their comfort and warmth. Sakura was so scared – afraid that any moment, she might revert to that murderous state and kill everyone, destroy everything she knew. Perhaps – perhaps she could shun all of them before the shunned her, treated her as a monster and the village once did Naruto.

"Stay away…"

Torrents of tears streamed down her dirt-streaked face, dripping onto the earth.

The Nanabi… was it the reason why? Or was it simply her own, uncontrolled anger, the ugly side of her that could finally be seen?

She realized that she didn't want to know.

"Sakura…?" Sasuke edged close cautiously, afraid of aggravating her. Her wide, emerald eyes, reflecting her fear, stared at him before she backed further away from him, shaking her head vigorously like a scared child.

"No! Go away… go away before I – before I kill you – " Sakura's voice was high-pitched and choked. She wrapped her arms around her knees and sobbed, feeling out of control, small, afraid. It was as if her childhood fears of being the last, the weakest had come back to haunt her.

The Uchiha wasn't about to give up. Walking forward silently, he held her by the arm in an unwavering steel grip.

She tried to shake him off, to no avail. "What's with you, Uchiha! Let – me – go – you bastard – "

"You can't kill me even if you wanted to, Sakura," Sasuke raised his voice to overpower hers, speaking firmly while staring her in the eye.

Sakura fell silent, on the verge of an outburst, her body shivering.

Then she threw her arms around her childhood crush, her tears unstopped. He was startled at first, but hugged her loosely around the waist, trying to restrain a smile.

Itachi was staring at the scene before him emotionlessly, hardly registering the painful throbbing of his gut. He couldn't tell what he was feeling, but he felt a sudden jolt when the pink-haired girl hugged his brother.

'_How… how would a hug feel…?'_

Then he furiously shook it out of his mind.

'_We'll finish this next time, Sasuke… and Haruno Sakura… I suppose I'll have to remember your name from now on…'_

Without another word, the Akatsuki member vanished.

Sasuke glanced briefly at the spot where Itachi had stood previously, but suddenly, he didn't feel much of an inclination to stalk him down. Silently pulling Sakura up, they both made their way back to the team.

Naruto and Kakashi gingerly stepped forward, covered in sweat, blood and dirt after the tiring battle, but Sakura couldn't care less. With a small, grateful smile, she threw her arms around the male members of her team, hugging them tightly, unwilling to let go.

She _couldn't_ lose them again.

N

"Hey – " Ino started just as she landed beside Chouji, but halted abruptly when she saw the looks on their faces, and Tenten, unconscious in Neji's arms. "What – "

"Ino," Neji said urgently, pressing forward. "Can you heal this?"

The blonde, recovering from her state of shock, replied firmly. "No, I can't. She's got second-degree burns and any level of expertise below Sakura's can result in Tenten losing an arm – and I'm not taking that risk," she ended softly, brushing the hair off her friend's forehead almost sadly.

The three were silent as Ino turned to leave, to look for Sakura. She glanced back at the motionless shinobis, surprised. "Hey – aren't you com – "

"Sakura's gone, Ino," Chouji said quietly, trying to ease the impact of the words. Ino stared back at him blankly, confused.

"Gone? You mean, she left the battle before us?"

"She's _dead_, Ino!" her chubby teammate said exasperatedly. "She got trapped in a Mangekyou Sharingan genjutsu! She's not – going – to live!"

The trio looked at Ino apprehensively, half expecting a hysterical outburst.

But Ino was smiling. Bitterly, but smiling.

"I don't believe it,"

"Ino…" Hinata said softly, stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You know Sakura as well as I do, Hinata! She won't leave us just like that! She's not – _dead_!" Ino spoke furiously, brushing away tears. "Come on!" she dragged Hinata off, in search of their pink-haired friend.

Feeling a small surge of hope, Chouji and Neji followed.

N

Shikamaru heard a small, shuffling sound somewhere in the woods and whirled around. A very bloodied Itachi had appeared, barely visible within the shadows of the trees, supporting an equally wounded Kisame.

Their eyes met for a moment. Itachi's eyes were empty, but Shikamaru thought he saw a trace of pain in them. Then, along with the Sameheda, they vanished.

Sai and Lee made to go after the duo, but were stopped by Shikamaru. "Don't bother. They'll be back someday,"

Kiba watched Akamaru anxiously, oblivious to the world around him. Shino placed a hand on his teammate's shoulder awkwardly, trying to convey comfort to him. "Hinata should be able to heal it, Kiba,"

The Inuzuka seemed to snap into reality at the sentence, and stood dazedly, preparing to lift his pet and find Hinata pronto.

"Give him a soldier pill first, you idiot, you'll kill him just by lifting him like that," the lazy genius hissed.

Too distraught to think of any retort, Kiba did as he was told, and watched with slight relief as a wave of chakra stemmed the flow of blood from the gaping wound.

"So? Shall we?" Sai asked blankly.

The team nodded.

N

"Sakura!"

The cherry blossom broke away from their group hug as a blonde girl hurtled out of nowhere and squeezed her so tight she nearly choked.

"Ino – In – o!"

"They said you were trapped in a genjutsu and that you were dead but I didn't believe them and I told them so and I'm so glad you're alive and Tenten's badly hurt and – "

"Wait – "Sakura stopped Ino, but her voice lacked its usual sharpness. A few of them noticed that, and looked up in surprise. She didn't notice. "Tenten… how is she?"

Neji carried the brown-haired kunoichi forward, resolutely silent. Sakura inhaled, her eyes cast downwards as she stepped forward to tentatively touch her friend's charred flesh.

"Ino, warm water. Hinata, bandages and antiseptic, please. Naruto, get a sleeping roll and spread it out," the pink-haired kunoichi commanded, quietly. All three glanced at each other, but scrambled off hurriedly.

Sasuke watched with slight surprise as everyone followed her orders without question or opposition. But he was more concerned about her reserved state.

Neji gently placed Tenten on the bedroll Naruto had spread out, almost reluctantly, before stepping back. Sakura knelt and soaked her hands in the warm water, scrubbing vigorously to remove the dirt.

At least, that was what most of the team though. The Uchiha, however, glanced at Kakashi and they shared a grim, knowing look. Maybe – just maybe – Sakura was trying to wash off blood that wasn't there, out of guilt. Guilt of her cold-blooded encounter with Itachi which ended up with her almost killing him. Pain that she was trying to hide, not from others, but from herself.

Sakura washed Tenten's arm gently, before healing it slowly.

Sasuke watched, intrigued, pushing out his worries for a moment. The black, charred skin was slowly mending, healing and being restored to its original condition. However, Sakura wrapped the hand with bandages and used a sling to support it despite the arm looking perfectly fine.

He somehow felt that now wasn't the time to ask, though.

They'd barely noticed that Shikamaru's team had rejoined them, and Sakura only jolted back to reality when she saw Hinata healing Akamaru.

Their co-team leaders called or silence.

"We'll set up camp here for tonight, and leave tomorrow. Sai, send a word to the Hokage about our arrival with Uchiha Sasuke and bring her up to date. The rest of you go get some rest. Chouji, Shino, you prepare dinner. Sakura and Naruto will guard the Uchiha – if Sakura is up to it," Neji cast her a sidelong glance, doubting her current state of mind. Sakura merely nodded. "Kakashi-senpai, Asuma-senpai, Shikamaru, we need to have a discussion," Neji continued firmly.

"Aw… now?" Kakashi's single eye peered over the top of his perverted book. "I was just getting to the good part!"

"Yes, now," Neji glared at his senior Jounin.

"Aa… fine… don't glare at me like that…" the Copy nin resumed his reading, nonchalantly adding a sentence. "I just thought you'd want to accompany Tenten…"

The rest of the group suppressed laughs.

Neji glared harder.

N

Naruto spent half the night convincing Sakura that her encounter with Itachi had not been her fault.

"_I mean, if I had been you I'd have mashed him to pulp… wouldn't care less if I'd felt murderous or whatever – isn't he a murderer, too?"_

Then, after he was satisfied that he'd at least lessened Sakura's feelings of guilt, the loud blonde tactfully disappeared, leaving Sasuke and Sakura alone, once again.

The cherry blossom was exhausted, but now that her guilt was lessened, another image kept her awake, along with the bizarre thoughts that kept funning through her jumbled mind, until she resorted to asking herself if it had really happened.

"Sakura,"

"Eh?" she said softly, not looking at him.

"Something wrong?" he asked with a smirk.

"I… don't know," she admitted after glaring at him.

Sasuke reflected on her words for a moment, and then it suddenly clicked.

"It's – not about what I did just now, is it?"

Sakura glanced up sharply, her eyes slightly wide. She looked like she was about to say something, but then she turned away from him and wrapped her arms around her knees again. "Forget it,"

"Come _on_, Sakura…"

Silence.

"I'll tell Lee that you're in love with him," Sasuke threatened with a flat tone and a straight face, jabbing her on the shoulder.

_Glare_. "You wouldn't dare."

_Poke_. "I wouldn't?"

_Glare_.

_Poke_.

"Fine, fine, you win," Sakura grumbled.

"Don't I always," the Uchiha replied nonchalantly.

"Stuck up bastard,"

Sakura relapsed into silence. When she finally spoke again, her voice was unusually quiet, and her cheeks flushed.

"That was my first kiss,"

Sasuke hadn't really expected that. From what he had heard during his stay with Orochimaru, Sakura was the Godaime's apprentice, highly talented, and along with her above-average looks, she must've gone out with someone else before… even though he didn't like the thought of it.

He was currently wondering how he should react.

"Did you… did you mean it?" she asked quickly, before stopping herself. "Never mind – _don't_ answer that," her cheeks turned as red as tomatoes.

Mm… tomatoes. He hadn't had any in a long time… but back to the real issue. He let out a somewhat suppressed laugh.

"You were worried about that?" Sasuke asked, restraining laughter. He did, after all, have an image to maintain.

"Stop laughing," Sakura threatened, her face scarlet. "Before my fist mushes up that pretty face of yours,"

The Uchiha sombered. "I don't kiss a girl just because she's about to kill my brother, you know,"

Emerald and onyx met as Sakura searched for any trace of insincerity on the Uchiha's face. There was none.

Slowly, very slowly, a smile broke out on Sakura's face. She shifted her position to sit closer to the raven-haired boy, while he hesitantly draped his arm across her shoulders and pulled her against him.

The cherry blossom gave him a sidelong glance before settling herself contentedly in his embrace, speaking in a soft, teasing tone.

"So… I'll take it that you _did_ mean something by that kiss, then,"

N

_Phew! Done. _

_How was it? Did you guys like it? kissing scene… I think most of my friends were going gaga over that…. –sweat- oh well._

_Translations:_

_**osae tsukeru: domu keimusho**__ – sustain: dome prison_

_**Sabaku no kaze: suna wo kiru**__ – Wind of the desert: Cutting sand_

_**Tora: mettagiri suru**__ – Tiger: Slash_

_**Inuzuka doku hanone**__ – Inuzuka poison fang_

_Lame in English… -sigh- _

_Okay! This is gonna be the last update for another two and a half months, I will only post the __next chapter in mid-October__ as my exams are drawing near… so… I hope you guys enjoyed this- I enjoyed writing it! Wish me luck with my exams, I'm really nervous…_

_Let's see if this chapter will reach 700 reviews! (I'm greedy, aren't I? ) I'm just kidding, as long as you guys tell me what you think, I'll be satisfied. Totally. _

_Next chapter:_

_Chapter 24 – Homecoming_

_二十四 – 返回_

_See you guys in October!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	25. Chapter 24: Homecoming

_Yosh! Back in October, as promised! Here's your long awaited chapter, and thanks a million to everyone who reviewed, you guys are the best! _

_**Anyway, I have a question. If I want to publish this story into a book online, what kind of permission do I require and how do I get it? And if I really do get to publish this story into a book, would any of you buy it despite already having read the whole story?**_

_Please tell me about that, okay!?_

_Now on with the story!_

N

Chapter 24 : Homecoming

二十四：返回

"Aw, isn't that just cute…?"

A sudden, feminine voice rudely jolted Sakura and Sasuke awake, both whom had fallen asleep under the tree. They leapt apart when their eyes caught a certain smirking Hyuuga prodigy standing next to Tenten, who was grinning widely, her arm in a sling.

Sakura's face was flushed, while Sasuke had rearranged his features into his emotionless mask once again. Both said nothing, glaring at the two older shinobis before them.

"Did you _really_ have to spy on us like that?" Sakura asked indignantly, her arms crossed.

Tenten laughed and took her friend by the arm. "We're not spying, Sakura-chan… it's not like the entire camp doesn't know that the two of you had fallen asleep together…"

Sakura glanced up sharply at her surroundings. Everyone in the camp, who had previously been watching the interesting exchange, immediately whipped back to their work, unsuccessfully trying to hide their laughter.

Sakura groaned while Sasuke rolled his eyes, grumbling under his breath. "Immature idiots,"

"Not like _you're_ being very mature about this, Uchiha," Neji smirked. Sasuke's hand automatically twitched towards where is sword usually hung – only to grasp thin air.

Neji twirled Sasuke's confiscated sword with ease, watching the Uchiha fume, smiling inwardly. He feigned a questioning face. "What? I'm already doing you a favour by not tying you up,"

The vein throbbing in Sasuke's forehead was clearly visible now.

Tenten and Sakura sighed, exchanging glances. Somehow, they had expected this to happen sooner or later, Neji would never be able to resist baiting Sasuke.

"C'mon, let's leave the menfolk to their own petty fights – it's time to go home, and Ino's dying to know what happened," Tenten grinned.

"Not _again_," the pink-haired kunoichi sighed, turning to follow her friend to pack. On second thought, she called over her shoulder to the opaque-eyed prodigy and the Uchiha.

"Oi! Don't kill each other while we're gone, okay?" the cherry blossom grinned.

Both watched the girls disappear before glancing at each other, shrugging, and walking off in different directions.

N _[In Konoha…_

"Shizune!" Tsunade yelled at the top of her voice. "SHIZUNE!"

The blonde woman waved the scroll on which she had deciphered Sai's most recent update just moment's ago, as her assistant hurried into her office, clearly annoyed at having been dragged away from her work.

"What _is_ it, Tsunade-sama?" a very hassled looking Shizune asked exasperatedly, plopping into one of the chairs facing the Hokage's desk without invitation. She was desperately wishing that Sakura would just appear out of thin air, and help her deal with the load of work that Tsunade had, as usual, neglected.

"They're coming back!" Tsunade could barely contain her excitement – completely out of character for the Godaime. "Sakura's coming back – and she's in one piece!"

"Of _course_ she's in one piece," Shizune said crossly, standing up and starting to walk out. "She's your apprentice, isn't she? Now please get yourself together and act like a Hokage, Tsunade-sama, Kurenai wants to see you," her assistant reprimanded.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. Sometimes Shizune made her wonder just _who_ was boss around here.

The crimson-eyed Jounin strode in, followed by Genma.

"I know they're almost home, Hokage-sama, but it's not the time to throw a party just yet," Kurenai got straight to the point, speaking tiredly. She hadn't gotten any sleep lately, and it was taking a toll on her. Yet, shinobi were trained this way. Missions came first, no matter what.

"Deidara and another new Akatsuki recruit named Seijin are here, right now, in Konoha," Genma told the Godaime calmly, his hands in his pockets.

"_What_?" Tsunade nearly fell out of her chair. "In Konoha? How - but Jiraya – never said anything about a new recruit - !"

"Jiraya-sama's in Hidden Rain now, gathering information there – we suspect that he hasn't heard about this new recruit yet," Kurenai said darkly. "And as for how they got in – Danzou struck a deal with them. Akatsuki is bargaining for the Haruno scrolls, plus the two jinchuuriki. The traitor wants Konoha for himself,"

"When I get my hands on him…" Tsunade muttered under her breath, her fist clenching tightly.

"We need instructions fast, Tsunade-sama," Genma told her firmly. "All else can wait. Deidara and Seijin request that Danzou attack the Rookie Nine team and retrieve the scrolls, so they are in immediate danger once they're within range of Konoha's gates. It is imperative that Akatsuki do not get the scrolls, isn't it?"

"We can't detain Danzou without more proof, the old hags 'advising' me love him too much," Tsunade scowled with distaste. "Who else is in your team, Kurenai?"

"Iruka, Kotetsu and Izumo,"

"I'll talk to the clan heads and see what agreement we can reach for them to help us," the Godaime Hokage spoke thoughtfully. "Meanwhile, station ANBU guards all around Konoha, and casually spread the word among Danzou's supporters that the team is returning tomorrow. We'll have to bait them, so make sure the team is well protected,"

Kurenai nodded.

"Genma, draw up a report on the new recruit Seijin and give it to me in another three hours. I want to know exactly what he looks like and what his apparent abilities are – Jiraya can elaborate on the rest," Tsunade turned to the other Jounin.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," Genma acknowledged his task.

"I'll speak to the clan heads and get back to you latest by tomorrow, Kurenai. Gather your ANBU team," Tsunade's hands were clasped underneath her chin.

The office was silent for awhile. The crimson-eyed woman spoke quietly. "Akatsuki only needs the Nanabi and the Kyuubi to complete their set… and they've gone as far as to collaborate with one of our own… do you think… that this means…?"

Tsunade stood, turning to face her open window. She watched several kids playing ninja on the street below as their mothers called them in for dinner, she watched villagers greeting each other cheerfully as they passed. Everything she loved, everything important to her was here. Her beautiful face was once again heavily lined, her former excitement had given away to worry.

"Yes," the Hokage spoke slowly, closing her eyes.

"This means war,"

N

"Oi, teme."

Sasuke looked up from the tent he was packing and acknowledged Naruto's presence with a slight nod. The hyperactive blonde bent over to help the Uchiha.

"I wanted to ask your something," Naruto said as they both stood, Sasuke carrying the bundled tent over to the pile of backpacks

"Hn."

"About Orochimaru,"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't kill him yet?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't think that concerns you,"

"But he tried to take over your body, right?"

"Twice."

"And?"

"I resisted."

One look from Sasuke told Naruto that he had asked enough questions. He dropped the subject with a grin and went on packing silently.

"Hey, dobe," Sasuke suddenly spoke after several moments.

"Wait a sec – you're talking to me?" Naruto feigned dramatic surprise.

"No, I was just talking to this can of tuna," the Uchiha shot back sarcastically, tossing the aforementioned can into a pack.

"Never knew that you could talk to fish," Naruto grinned, and before Sasuke could retort, he continued. "So, what?"

"Sai," Sasuke motioned to the dark-haired teen standing some distance away, talking to Sakura. "What kind of person is he?"

"Oh," Naruto smirked, barely hiding his glee – a jealous Sasuke was priceless to watch. "He's got absolutely no social skills, like a certain someone I know…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke deadpanned, looking at Naruto threateningly.

"You know what I mean, teme," the jinchuuriki grinned mischievously. "Because you're such a wonderful social butterfly yourself…"

'_Since when did the dobe acquire sarcasm?'_ the Uchiha thought vaguely. For some reason, the memory of Naruto accidentally 'kissing' him when they were in the Academy resurfaced. He shook his head to get rid of the image, and suddenly felt like throwing up.

Naruto, completely oblivious to Sasuke's lapse of attention, prattled on. "Anyway, Sai's gotten a lot better since Sakura-chan started trying to teach him social skills,"

He couldn't resist baiting Sasuke.

Sasuke subconsciously glared at the back of Sai's head – he was still talking to Sakura.

"You know, teme, it's okay to be jealous – after all, Sai _is_ a lot better than you," Naruto tried to look nonchalant.

The Uchiha sent the blonde idiot a death glare, aiming a punch to his head.

"Shut your mouth, dobe, before I shut it permanently for you."

N [with Orochimaru…

Kabuto winced as yet another loud crash and the sound of something shattering could be heard from within the Snake Sannin's room.

Orochimaru was mad, he had been mad since he learned that the Leaf shinobis had managed to retrieve Sasuke. He'd been throwing things for three days now, and it seemed like he still wasn't finished venting his anger. The medic nin was pretty sure that if he even put a foot in there, he would be the next thing Orochimaru threw.

It wasn't as if the bastard hadn't already blamed the whole incident on him.

Kabuto sighed. He had no choice, his master had summoned him. Perhaps he should hand in his resignation and go into early retirement, Kabuto vaguely contemplated that option.

"Orochimaru-sama?" he adjusted his glasses and knocked tentatively.

The only reply was the sound of something else breaking.

Kabuto recklessly pushed open the door and walked inside.

"… that ungrateful, filthy little bloodsucker – "

CRASH. A vase shattered. Orochimaru had repeated this rant for three days, and honestly, Kabuto felt sick of hearing his pitiful whining.

"- came to me for power and walked away – "

Smash. The innocent little wooden chair in the corner split.

"- _without_ paying the price!"

White feathers flew as Orochimaru ripped a pillow.

Kabuto blinked.

'_This is gonna be another long day…'_

N

Tsunade paced her office incessantly, numerous thoughts running through her mind – and for once, none of those thoughts were related to sake.

She glanced at the battered old clock on the wall. It'd been half and hour since she'd dispatched messengers to summon the clan leaders of Konoha for an emergency meeting, and she was getting impatient.

Her gaze fell upon the clutter on her office desk. Sakura had often admonished the older woman for having such an 'unrespectable' office, and even undertook the task of cleaning up every three days, but with the pink-haired kunoichi gone for nearly three weeks now… the entire office had fallen into disarray.

Yet two items remained in place upon her desk. A photograph, of Tsunade and Sakura, both grinning madly for some reason or another, and a porcelain bottle of special, winter-brewed sake that Sakura had bought for her teacher from the Village of Hidden Mist, when she'd been there on a mission. Tsunade hadn't touched it yet.

The blonde-haired Hokage smiled at the memory, barely registering the knock on her door.

"Tsunade-sama," Shizune's quiet voice sounded as the raven-haired woman stepped into the office.

"Send them in, Shizune," Tsunade straightened and stood behind her desk as the clan heads filed in, greeting and bowing to her respectfully. With a wave of her hand, the Godaime gestured for them to sit.

Tsunade looked around for a few moments to ascertain that everyone was present.

'_Hyuuga… Yamanaka… Akimichi… Aburame… Nara… Inuzuka…'_ her hazel eyes scanned the room, nodding to Jiraya who had slipped in quietly at the last minute. Satisfied, the Godaime began to speak.

"Just recently, I sent out a team of eight Chunins and two Jounins to source out two scrolls, believed to be of the Haruno Clan's, and sought after by the Akatsuki. They were led by Hyuuga Neji and Nara Shikamaru, and the updates from them have revealed that they were successful in the objective of their mission. Hatake Kakashi, on the other hand, was sent on another S-class retrieval mission with Pakkun. The latter returned with additional information on Orochimaru, while I arranged for Kakashi to somehow meat our team of Chunins. They are now escorting Uchiha Sasuke back to Konoha,"

A slight murmur rippled through the room. Tsunade held up a hand for silence.

"The Uchiha is the least of our concerns right now. I have received information that Akatsuki is growing more ambitious and restless as the time passes… while one of our own has betrayed us,"

"And who might that be, Hokage-sama?" Hyuuga Hiashi asked calmly.

"The traitor is Danzou," Jiraya, who had been silent and standing in the far corner of the room, spoke up suddenly. "He has been meeting with up with an Akatsuki member known as Deidara as well as another new recruit named Seijin. They are collaborating – Akatsuki intends to obtain the Haruno scrolls, and in return, Danzou demands to be put in charge of Konoha,"

The atmosphere in the room tensed.

"Our spies have determined that Danzou plans to attack the team of shinobis due to return tomorrow, under pressure from Akatsuki to obtain the scrolls at whatever cost. Our team is not aware of this ambush and we cannot inform them in time without looking suspicious. They will be in danger, because hidden ninjas in our surrounding forest are often taken for our guards and not as enemies. Most of them, I believe, are your sons and daughters," Tsunade continued.

"Why can't we just arrest Danzou and have it done with?" Akimichi Chouza asked quietly.

"You know, as well as I do, that we will never convince the village elders of his guilt without proof, they favour him for his monetary donations and previous contributions to our village." The Hokage explained sharply. "I have stationed ANBU to capture Danzou's men in action tomorrow. But I need all of you to focus on a more pressing matter," she took a deep breath.

"Akatsuki, as you know, has spent the last few years capturing the jinchuuriki and extracting the Bijuu from them. They only require two more to complete the set – the Kyuubi, residing in Uzumaki Naruto, and the Nanabi, currently hosted by my apprentice, Haruno Sakura."

"Sakura – since when?" Yamanaka Inoichi let out an exclamation. He had know the kunoichi as his daughter's friend, and never once had he heard that –

"Too long a story to explain, and I refuse to divulge the details, but if it helps, she only became a jinchuuriki during this mission," Tsunade fought to keep the exasperation out of her voice. "But let me get to the point. Akatsuki's near completed collection of tailed-demons can mean only one thing for us. I need all of you to train your clan members harder, strengthen our walls and do everything in your power to ensure the safety of our village. We fight to protect all that we love, and I don't know what you think – but Naruto and Sakura are extremely important to me and to your children, because they are our friends and comrades. Never forget what our forefathers died for,"

There was pindrop silence all around. Tsunade closed her eyes, willing her tears not to fall.

"It can be a day, a month or a year, but war is approaching."

N

"Hey Genma…! I heard that the Rookie Nine are gonna return from their mission tomorrow!" Kotetsu made a show of being drunk, yelling at the top of his voice in the middle of Konoha's largest bar.

Genma had to admit, Kotetsu looked really convincing. Beside him, Anko was sprawled out on the bar counter, also looking drunk as she burped and laughed, fingering her drink. "Yea, and the Hokage's so damn happy…"

"Hey, shut it, both of you, that's supposed to be classified!" Genma played his part, hissing with a strained voice in a loud stage whisper.

The Jounin watched from the corner of his eye as the men at the next table got up hurriedly, paid and left. He knew that man. One of Danzou's lackeys.

Genma pretended to hoist both Kotetsu and Anko after paying for their drink, apologetically muttering to the barman about comrades getting drunk after missions. Receiving a sympathetic smile from the barman, he dragged both shinobis out rather unceremoniously until they reached ANBU headquarters. Once safely inside, Kotetsu and Anko dropped all pretense of being drunk.

"You think we did it?" Kotetsu asked Genma.

"Yeah. I think Danzou's man bought our act," Genma said thoughtfully. "We should be able to proceed with Kurenai's plan,"

"But that was fun!" Anko grinned, her usual self.

Genma rolled his eyes.

N

They were getting closer to home. Everyone seemed to move twice their usual speed, eager to return to familiar grounds, their thoughts on home.

All except for one person, that is. Uchiha Sasuke was trying to think of anything but Konoha and everyone in it.

Five years. Branded as a traitor. He was pretty sure that no one would be overjoyed to see him. Heck, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to go back.

Next to him, Sakura was chatting animatedly about how much Konoha had changed, the things she wanted to do when she got home, her patients at the hospital… Sasuke could sense that her smile was faked, her cheeriness was simply a mask to hide what she felt – how people would accept her as another jinchuuriki back in Konoha, but Sasuke was too preoccupied with his own troubles to take notice of her nervousness or her need to talk to someone. There was a slight pang of guilt in him, he was being selfish, but Sasuke brushed it off easily.

"Are you done talking?" the Uchiha snapped, irritated. Sakura's face fell ever so slightly – since when had she been able to hide her emotions this well? – but she quickly retreated with a sad smile.

"Yeah, it's okay if you don't want to listen."

The cherry blossom slowed down, her emerald eyes somehow haunting him. She was growing father away again… and it was his fault. He soon lost sight of her as she fell to the back of the group.

Naruto, who was travelling in front of Sasuke, glanced backward at him with a partly angry, partly reproachful look, somewhat mixed with annoyance and incredulity. Sasuke had a feeling that he was going to get a lecture when they got back to Konoha.

He tried to ignore Naruto.

N

"One word of advice, Sakura," Tenten smiled quietly as she leapt onto another branch, wobbling precariously as her arm in the sling failed to help her balance. She swore under her breath, before continuing the conversation. "Sasuke's not ready yet – talk to him when the initial problems are over, talk to Ino if you're having fashion issues, but talk to me if you've got real problems,"

Neji, who had been at the end of the group, caught up to the girls who were slowing down, and looked at Tenten enquiringly. The brown-haired girl motioned him forward, shaking her head to deter any further questions on his part. Finally catching on that this was a 'girl thing', the Hyuuga moved forward, indicating to them to catch up quickly.

Sakura tried to smile, but failed. "I – can't make him understand that right now, I need to talk to someone. I need to talk to get things out of my head because honestly, I'm scared about returning home with this," she glanced briefly at the mark the Nanabi's sealing within her had left.

"He's got other things to worry about, Sakura, other things that concern him more," Tenten said patiently, even though Sakura knew what she was about to say. "Like how he'll move on with life when he gets back to Konoha. You know his quest for revenge isn't over, and personally, I think the only reason he's following us back now is because he's sick of Orochimaru trying to take over his body – and also because there's likely nothing more that he can gain by staying with that bastard. _Your_ problems are, from his point of view, little of his concern,"

"That sounds rather harsh," Sakura's voice was soft. She didn't want to think that Sasuke was returning home because he had nothing left to gain with Orochimaru. She wanted, very badly, to think that he was returning because he cared.

"Not everyone's like you, Sakura," Tenten laughed slightly, reading her friend's mind easily. "Yes, he's returning to Konoha for the sole reason of ditching Orochimaru, but I think he cares in a different way. He could've left for elsewhere, where he wouldn't be looked down upon like in Konoha, but he chose to return. That ought to mean _something_," the kunoichi tilted her head to a side. "Sometimes caring about a person doesn't mean prying into every aspect of that person's life, or trying to help them in every way. People need to learn to move on by themselves, there's only so much you can do. You've done your part in helping him, but he may not think that he needs to help you with some of your problems. You can't expect him to automatically care because he's been away for five years, whatever you and Naruto say, that bond has been severed, even if a little, and it will take time to build it back again," Tenten looked at Sakura seriously. "Maybe you should give him some time, try living your own life for a bit and let him live his. If you don't think he's interested to listen to what you're going through, you can always talk to me. Or stand alone, like the 'strong girl' you've become,"

The weapons mistress smiled as she said the last sentence, but she was alarmed to find that Sakura was about to cry.

"What if, Tenten – what if I'm just tired of being strong?" the pink-haired kunoichi asked softly in a choked voice, biting her lip to keep herself from crying.

"Tired… of being strong?" Tenten asked.

"This whole mission… changed my life in three weeks. Every single one of those things that I gained, the scrolls, the Nanabi, my kekkai genkai – every one of them is a responsibility! Before this mission, I wanted to get stronger, I tried so hard to achieve more things, to match up to my teammates – but now I'm not so sure anymore. It's so difficult when everyone relies on me for a solution, because they expect me to be able to solver everything just because I have sudden extra powers!" Sakura said exasperatedly, fighting to keep her voice down.

"It's like being a medic, Tenten," the cherry blossom spoke softly, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, her body on autopilot as she moved through the forest. "Everyone relies on me to heal their wounds, to cheer them up, to reassure them that everything will be okay; and they expect me to be able to heal myself, to get up myself when I've fallen,"

Sakura paused on the branch she was on, silent tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Everyone forgets that I'm only human, that sometimes, I need someone else to help me heal. That I feel what they can feel, that I'm not invincible no matter how strong I appear to be. I don't mind being strong, but I just can't handle everything alone,"

Tenten had stopped moving when Sakura halted on the branch she was standing on. "You're a really silly girl, you know that?" the kunoichi asked with a slight grin. "What are we? You know Naruto and I, along with all your friends, have never let you bear things alone. Sasuke will take time to learn about caring, and if he doesn't, I'm pretty sure Naruto will make him learn, at any rate,"

The weapons mistress tried to hug her friend, but swore again as she found that the sling was restricting her movement.

"Aah, screw the sling, my arm's perfectly fine," Tenten grumbled and ripped the material off before enveloping the half-laughing, half-crying Sakura in a warm hug, telling her in unspoken words that she was never alone.

N

"Almost home," Kakashi said, grinning at his only female student. "Can't wait to get my hands on Jiraya-sama's latest book,"

"I thought you said you were bored of it?" the cherry blossom enquired, rolling her eyes as she grinned back sheepishly. Some things never would change.

She'd managed to catch up with the team along with Tenten after her breakdown, hoping that no one had noticed, or would question, their absence. She was pretty sure that Asuma, Kakashi, Neji and Hinata would have seen them falling behind, but they didn't ask any questions and Sakura wasn't complaining.

At last, they could see it. The roofs of Konoha's buildings, reflecting the morning sunlight just beyond Konoha's gates in the distance. Home.

"Ichiraku Ramen, here I come!" Naruto hollered somewhere at the head of the group. Kakashi and Sakura exchanged amused glances, sighing if only a little. _That_ was one thing that would never change.

Kakashi suddenly tensed and whipped out a kunai, yelling a warning and darting to Sakura's side as a black-clothed figure came bearing down on her, the glinting tip of a sword clearly visible.

"WATCH OUT!"

N

_YESH!!!! Chapter 24 done at last:stretches: that sure was one long chapter to type…_

_Okay, sorry for making you guys wait so long for this! Really! So war is approaching and Konoha isn't exactly ready for it, and what's going to happen to our team of shinobis?? I'm not telling, deal with it._

_Don't forget to answer this question:_

_**Anyway, I have a question. If I want to publish this story into a book online, what kind of permission do I require and how do I get it? And if I really do get to publish this story into a book, would any of you buy it despite already having read the whole story?**_

_So… until the next chapter!_

_Chapter 25: Pain_

_二十五：疼_

_Until next time, ja ne!_

_-Raven Ariana-_


	26. Chapter 25: Pain

_Hey guys! I updated in a week, what a miracle, ne? Well, I think I was so touched by everyone's reviews I forced myself to sit down and finish typing this from my book… _

_Oh, and thanks for all the suggestions that you guys gave to me about the publishing thing! I'll try, and if I do get it, I'll tell you, okay? _

_Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to my 700__th__ reviewer (I can't believe it!) __**missysillivan**__ (I hope I spelt that right!) Thanks for reviewing! _

_And someone told me that everything seemed to happen to Sakura… ; well, sorry, because she is the main character in this story, things tend to happen to her. I'll try to put in more of the other characters okay? _

_Ok. Now on with the story!_

N

Chapter 25 – Pain

二十五 – 疼

"UGH!"

Kakashi was protected from the crashing sword by his own kunai, but suffered the brunt of the brute force, hurtling sideways and shoving right into the surprised cherry blossom.

Both toppled from their precarious position atop the branch and toppled to the ground – which was a pretty long way down. Lucky for them, Konoha's forest grounds were usually covered in dry leaves that managed to cushion the fall. Having always been taught to land sideways when falling didn't hurt, either.

As the two shinobis regained their composure and leapt back up to join the fight, the rest of the team had already sprung into action. Several of them, like the Hyuugas and Sasuke, were fully prepared, but the rest were not too graceful for the first few moments facing their surprise enemy.

A shinobi, however, learns that many things can happen in only a few moments – and that those 'few' moments can cost a precious life. Already they had cuts and grazes all over, thanks to the weapons used in the ambush.

Neji swore under his breath, never mind the Hyuuga policy of being a gentleman at all times. Taking down two of the masked enemy efficiently, the prodigy berated himself for not having paid more attention to the ninjas hidden among the trees. He'd assumed that they were simply one of Konoha's gate patrols, but he was wrong. Now, the enemy had the element of surprise, and therefore, the upper hand.

Naruto easily took out four men with a rapid succession of combined punches and kicks, while Sakura covered his and Sasuke's back, dealing sharp blows to the base of their necks with the side of her hand, rendering them unconscious.

Sasuke almost looked _bored_. Watching him from the corner of her eye, Sakura wondered how they ever defeated him, in a manner of speaking. He made this fight looked so damned _easy_!

"Who's got the scrolls?" the man who had first attacked demanded gruffly, distinguishing himself further as the leader of their attackers. Big mistake. He would be sitting in Konoha's interrogation cell later, if the team of shinobis had anything to say about it.

Meanwhile, they stayed quiet, not giving Sakura away. The longer the enemy couldn't locate what they wanted, the better. Gaara was keeping them at bay with constant waves of sand at their feet, but several managed to penetrate the obstruction.

"It's the pink-haired girl! She's one of the jinchuuriki!" one of the masked attackers suddenly shouted, pointing at Sakura. She froze for a momentary second before shoving her knee into his stomach. He flew into oblivion.

'_How did they know that…?'_ she thought grimly, preparing for a full onslaught of attacks in her direction.

As luck would have it, someone else shouted at that very moment.

"No, it's the Hyuuga, their captain! I overheard some Jounin talking about it yesterday night!" yelled the scrawny man, brandishing his weapon rather unnecessarily. He sounded extremely proud of himself.

'_Too much ego?'_ Sakura thought. Well, at least she was out of trouble for the moment, and she wasn't complaining.

The man's word about his 'information' obtained from several Jounins seemed to be all the reassurance the enemy team needed. All at once, they changed course, charging at the stoic captain instead – which was, quite obviously, a huge mistake. Any nut with a brain would know that Hyuugas excelled in close combat.

"Kaiten!"

Ten men were thrown backwards by the sheer force of the spinning chakra sphere, five were out cold. Neji's killer glare sent the other five scrambling backwards.

"I suggest you get lost before I lose my temper. None of us have whatever scrolls you're looking for – our mission objective was to retrieve the Uchiha," the Hyuuga's voice rang out clearly, opaque eyes narrowed.

'_Smooth lie,'_ Tenten thought, trying not to smirk. For a prodigy who could see through anyone else's lie, it was ironic that he should lie himself.

"He's lying!" the leader spurred his men on.

Chaos ensued, everyone plunged into battle with fresh fervor. Their enemies, if judged by skill, never stood a chance – some of them fought worse than genins. But they had the advantage of numbers.

Sakura's fist slammed into one of her attackers, the well-aimed punch sending him crashing into several others. She was increasingly conscious of the scroll in her backpack, fearing that at any moment, it might be taken from her.

Heck, she didn't even know why she was so concerned. She hadn't wanted to be involved in the first place, had she?

The cherry blossom could vaguely see Sasuke, Naruto and Sai, now covering her back, protecting her and fighting off the enemy with ease that only 'her' boys were capable of. Several men flinched at seeing the Uchiha in battle, but charged towards him anyway. The next moment, they were out.

Sakura gritted her teeth, finding herself fighting next to the weapons' mistress. Tenten signaled to her, and Sakura swiftly grabbed her friend by the shoulders and swung the brown-haired kunoichi in a wide arc, while Tenten delivered powerful kicks, dispersing of the enemy quickly.

"Put your heart into it, Sakura! You're not focusing!" Tenten hissed at her friend anxiously after she had landed. Sakura's attacks lacked the viciousness they once had, the spirit that made her strong in combat.

The pink-haired kunoichi knew that she was way too preoccupied with worries to concentrate on this fight – they were so close to home, why now? Sakura was sick of always being the target, sick of being in the center of attention, and all she wanted to do was to go home and sleep. Yet even that seemed to be too much to ask for. She punched one man with uncontrolled ferocity to vent her frustration, and he slammed into a nearby tree. He would be suffering quite a number of broken bones, and the terrifying fact was Sakura's realization that she didn't care anymore.

Just when the shinobis thought that the fight was going nowhere, they were alerted to a sudden presence by a familiar, ringing voice.

"Hey you! Looking for these?"

Most heads glanced upwards. Genma had spoken. He was tossing a scroll in one hand, holding another, Kurenai, Kotetsu and Izumo were next to him on the branch, while a group of ANBU had completely surrounded the team and their attackers.

There was momentary confusion as the masked men attempted to scramble away, to escape capture, and in the midst of all that, Sakura spotted one of the enemy leaping down upon the distracted loudmouth Naruto. She leapt upwards swiftly without a thought, preparing to deliver a downward kick.

She managed the kick, but in her unfocused state of mind, judged the man's retaliation wrongly. He twisted to attack her, and both falling man and kunoichi crashed into each other in mid-air, tumbling down rapidly.

Sakura nearly screamed with a sharp, blinding pain shot through her right foot and up her leg. She'd crash-landed on the wrong angle and twisted her ankle. Badly. Clenching her teeth, she attempted to stand, only to find that her foot was utterly useless. Beneath her, Naruto's attacker was unconscious, Sakura having fallen on top of him.

'_Great,'_ she thought bitterly. Now she was an open target, and that was just what she needed. The cherry blossom tried not to make a sound as not to draw any attention – but realized, to her horror, that her eyes were quickly losing focus. There was too much pain, and the stab wounds from her last encounter with Itachi were only semi-healed to save chakra. This situation was really bad.

No one else had noticed her nasty fall, they were too busy looking at Genma.

"Come get the scrolls, you incompetent bums, isn't that what you wanted all along?" Genma called out mockingly while Kurenai discreetly signaled to the rest of the ANBU team behind her.

The battle had paused, and everyone watched with bated breaths. All except for Sakura, who had enough to do just fighting to stay conscious.

"Hand over the scrolls," A quiet, gruff voice broke the silence. Sakura raised a kunai to her neck swiftly out of pure instinct. Metal clashed, the man gripped Sakura by the shoulder while his other hand trained his sword, poised at her throat. Only her kunai was shielding her from certain death now, and even then, her grip and strength were slipping with her consciousness.

The shinobis were frozen. How could they not have noticed?

"She's losing her grip, don't count on her being able to overpower me. Hand those scrolls over or I'll kill her," the man said evenly. He meant business, that much they could tell. No one was behind him to be able to threaten him, and in any case, if they moved, Sakura would lose her life. Even if they could be faster than the man, they could not risk it.

Genma noticed the vital symptoms of someone about to pass out. Sakura's eyes were unfocused and her whole body was going limp, and the kunai was sliding against the man's sword.

He weighed his options quickly. The scrolls were not the issue – Sakura's life was. He could hand over the two scrolls anytime, they were fakes, but if he did and the man checked, realizing that he'd been cheated with blank scrolls, he would kill Sakura. If Genma didn't hand the scrolls over, Sakura would die.

There was no win-win situation. But maybe luck would be on their side.

"Hurry up!" the man threatened. The sword had almost slipped to the tip of the kunai now, and beads of perspiration due to the man's anxiousness trickled down his face.

Genma was about to toss the scrolls over when, in a sudden blur of movement, the man yelped and was thrown forwards, sword and all. A blonde-haired woman with piercing hazel eyes stepped forward, looking angry. Or scary.

"I did _not_ just hear you threaten my apprentice!"

Behind her, Sakura felt a wave of relief washing over her, before she allowed herself to slowly succumb to the blissful darkness.

"Tsunade… sama…" came her shaky, ragged whisper.

Then her world went black.

N

The cherry blossom drifted in and out of consciousness, sometimes catching sight of the white hospital ceiling, occasionally glimpsing the worried faces of her mentor and friends, before falling back into the dark, blank abyss of unconsciousness.

Jumbled thoughts flashed through her tired mind as she slept, none making sense. Darkness enveloped her world like a blanket, sometimes comforting, sometimes frightening. She would dream of all that happened on the mission, having nightmares about how different things could have turned out… how, perhaps, all her friends could have died for her, or worse still, by her hand.

Alone… she felt so isolated. Some thoughts and memories came out clearer than the rest. Sakura found herself remember Sasuke leaving, her parents dying. Yuki's pale face, as he was about to succumb to death. His last words.

"_Hug… me… nee-chan…"_

"YUKI!"

The pink-haired kunoichi bolted upright in bed, and found herself nearly blinded by the sudden presence of intense light. Her body was rigid, shivering uncontrollably, and tears streamed down her face in torrents.

"Sakura…?"

The girl bit her lip, trying to stem the flow of tears. Tenten stood there, frozen in total shock and staring at her pink-haired friend. Then Sakura gasped as the weapons' mistress threw her arms around the cherry blossom, laughing and sobbing at the same time.

"Ten… ten…?" Sakura whispered haltingly, still in a groggy state.

"We were so worried… you hit your head when you collapsed and fell from the branch, and Tsunade-sama told us you might have had a concussion…" at this, Tenten drew back quickly still holding Sakura's shoulders, staring at her concernedly. "You are fine, aren't you? You remember everything? Like your hair colour? And Naruto's favourite food?"

"It's kind of hard to forget that," Sakura commented dryly, feeling more like her old self again. Her mind ran a systems check on instinct, and she felt okay, save for the fact that she required a little more rest for her internal wounds to heal completely.

"I think… I'm fine," the cherry blossom spoke more seriously, slowly.

Tenten heaved a quiet sigh of relief. "Thank kami-sama…the whole village was nearly thrown into chaos when we rushed in, Tsunade-sama carrying you with the Uchiha behind and us surrounding him, you know?"

Sakura's brain took awhile to register those words. Tenten continued.

"Everyone thought that he'd killed you when they saw us, and Hokage-sama's grim face. But Sasuke never flinched, he just kept on walking… and after Tsunade-sama completed your minor operations, he stayed right next to you, every single day. Wouldn't budge, and even when a whole squad of ANBU came in to detain him, he sealed the room so that no one could get it,"

The medic nin looked up at her friend in surprise. Tenten merely smiled.

Sakura looked blank for a moment. "How long…?"

She was almost afraid of the answer.

"A week. You've been out cold, drifting back occasionally and calling Yuki's name in your sleep…" Tenten tilted her head sideways with concern. "Anyway, you should see the amount of gifts you received – your friends, patients, the works…" the weapons mistress suddenly grinned, pulling open the curtains of the next bed.

Cards, flowers and presents of various shapes and sizes tumbled down, the bright colours seemingly illuminating the room with their own light. Sakura blinked and spared them a glance, trying to remember a question she wanted to ask.

"Sasuke shoved them there, they were originally by your beside table. According to Naruto, _'the teme said that all the colours were blinding him'_," Tenten unsuccessfully tried to suppress a smile

Sakura jolted, remember her question. "Sasuke – where is he now? Is he okay?"

"Aren't _you_ ever the concerned one…" Tenten teased. "He was here until an hour ago, the village elders insisted that he attend a hearing so that they could decide on what to do with him – Sasuke got so tired of their pestering he went. I actually think that's just a stupid excuse of the elders to make it look like they're doing _something_,"

The cherry blossom was already out of bed, pulling off the tubes connected to her torso and arms. "Where's the place?"

"But – you can't – you're not healed yet!"

"Try me," Sakura said dangerously. "_Where is the place, Tenten_?" She quickly slipped out of her hospital gown and snatched up some proper clothes from the bedside table, putting them on. Her stare was unwavering.

"N-next to the Hokage Tower!" Tenten stammered, surprised.

Sakura bolted out of the room. Tenten swore at her own stupidity before bolting out after her friend. Tsunade would be killing her later. Not to mention the rest of the males in Team 7.

"_Sakura_!"

N

"Uchiha Sasuke, isn't it?" the stately, haughty old man stood, adjusting his council robes. It took all of Sasuke's willpower _not_ to get up and strangle every single one of those smug-looking old geezers. It wasn't as if they _didn't_ already know his name.

"I believe your counterparts have already asked me that question five times over," the raven-haired boy closed his eyes and answered in a bored tone, feeling a vein twitch. It'd been over an hour, and none of these fools had asked a question that actually meant something.

"_Do you enjoy being back in Konoha, Uchiha?"_

"_I'm afraid I cannot answer that question,"_

"_Are your friends happy to have you back?"_

"_That would be entirely up to them,"_

"_I've heard that you like tomatoes, Sasuke. Is it true?"_

_twitch "That's none of your business,"_

Pointless. All of them. The last question had been asked by a woman that was probably over seventy and still looked like a giddy fangirl. Sasuke shuddered involuntarily.

He suddenly decided that if this elder was going to act like the rest, he would leave. Never mind Sakura killing him when she woke up.

If she ever did. Sasuke forced his train of thought elsewhere.

She was unconscious now, and the last thing he had done was to snap at her. Bitter irony.

Somewhere across the room, Tsunade sat next to the jury box, her arms and legs crossed, her eyes closed. She looked like she was sleeping. But Sasuke knew better, he could read people well. The Godaime Hokage was, in a way, a dormant volcano waiting to blow at the idiots questioning him.

The Uchiha hid a slight smirk.

"Uchiha Sasuke…" the old man drew out his name, flipping through some papers. "Five years ago, you betrayed Konoha and joined Orochimaru,"

"I did not betray Konoha," came his quiet, firm reply.

"Your definition of that statement?"

"My leaving was in pursuit of personal goals. I did not exploit or betray any of Konoha's secrets or information to Otogakure," Sasuke spoke straight to the point, in a nonchalant tone, his arms crossed and his face cast down with a blank expression.

"So you have never revealed anything about Konoha to our enemies?"

The only reply he gave was a slight shake of his head.

"But the fact remains that you allied with one of our enemies,"

"I did not deny that,"

The elder peered at Sasuke over the glasses perched on his nose.

"And what, exactly, made you come back? Defeat? Embarrassment?" he questioned. "Or perhaps – lo-"

"That question is out of bounds," Tsunade's voice sounded sharply even through she did not open her eyes or move.

Sasuke let the ghost of a smile flit across his face.

"Very well," the elder looked disgruntled, but continued grudgingly. "My next question – have you ever killed for Orochimaru?"

The entire room was silent. Naruto gripped the edge of his seat, his face grimly set. Kakashi's face was blank, as was Sai's. Neji and Shikamaru simply watched the proceedings patiently. Several people shifted uncomfortably.

But Sasuke looked perfectly calm. "I have killed only in training or in need. Most of those killed were Sound nins," his voice was dangerously quiet. "I kill on need, never on command,"

"Have you ever killed any of Konoha or Suna's residents, then?"

"No."

"But, if I recall correctly, you were with Orochimaru and Kabuto and harmed our team of shinobi sent to search for you,"

"The last time I checked, they were still alive, I believe that that does not count as killing," Sasuke's gaze was unwavering.

Kakashi watched his student carefully – every facial expression, every rise and fall of his voice. Someone in Sasuke's position ought to be presenting a remorseful image and trying to impress the jury, but here that Uchiha was, outsmarting his questioner and looking like he didn't care.

The silver-haired Jounin's thoughts drifted to the blonde loudmouth next to him, watching the scene with surprising intensity and concentration. Then he remembered Sakura. A girl, and now a woman. Not one to be taken lightly, either.

He hid a smile.

'_My genin team, eh?'_

N

Sakura paused outside the small 'courtroom' doors, clutching her chest. Her wounds were throbbing painfully, she was having slight difficulty breathing, and she felt dizzy.

But she didn't care right now. Silently, she pressed against the wooden doors, listening intently.

N

Sasuke was bored. Spelt in capital letters. But the old man's next question was like a sharp jab to his side.

He didn't want to answer it. He knew it was unavoidable, that sooner or later, one of them would surely ask him that question, the whole reason of his 'betrayal' of Konoha.

"Do you still intend to find your brother and kill him?"

N

Sakura's breath caught in her throat. That question –

She didn't want to hear his answer.

No matter what, no matter how much they went through to get him back, the pink-haired kunoichi knew that it would be a 'yes'.

Meaning that he would leave them again.

Meaning that he still prized revenge above everything else.

Meaning that he might never come back.

Sakura bit her lip, using the door frame as her support. Suddenly it seemed so much more difficult to breathe.

Then, from behind her, came a loud call, as a certain weapons' mistress came into sight.

"Sakura!"

N

Everyone froze as they heard the name.

Sasuke stood and leapt over the walls of the box he was sitting in, and swiftly strode over to the doors, Tsunade joining him. Neither heeded the guards that tried to block their way. With a tug, Sasuke yanked open the doors.

Sakura, who had been using the door as her support, lost her balance and fell when it opened. Tsunade caught her apprentice and sighed.

"You just never listen, do you?"

The cherry blossom gave her a weak smile before glancing at Sasuke. She just wanted to know that he was alright, no matter what.

"Are you… okay?" she asked quietly, clutching her painful chest. Tenten grasped the girl by her shoulders to steady her, smiling softly.

Sasuke paused. He decided not to answer, because frankly, he wasn't too sure if he was actually 'okay', in every sense of the word. "Let's get you back to the hospital, you annoying little brat," he said with a slight smirk, draping her arm over his shoulders and supporting her on one side. Naruto ran up to help, on the other side. Tsunade quietly stepped back and allowed the two boys to help their teammate. The blonde-haired jinchuuriki was half-hugging her to death, hardly able to contain his excitement at seeing her up and about.

"Where do you think you're going, Uchiha?" one of the elders suddenly asked from across the room. "We're not done with your hearing yet?"

"If you know what's best for you, schedule it for another day," Sasuke spoke in a voice that rang across the room, without looking back. His face remained passive. "And I'm taking my teammate back to the hospital," he continued, slowly, calmly. "Are you going to stop me?"

No one spoke.

Sasuke stepped out of the courtroom, supporting Sakura with Naruto's help, before walking slowly out, Kakashi, Sai and Tsunade falling in step with them.

N

_How was that? Not my best, I know. But I liked Sasuke's hearing. Seventy-year old fangirl… geez, I wouldn't like to be him._

_Oh yesh. Check out a new Team 7 pic I just finished colouring on my DeviantArt page, here's the link:_

_**http:// aria-arissa. art/ Melancholy-67290520**_

_(just copy it to your URL, remove the spaces and hit enter. I don't trust FF, it keeps erasing the links I put on )_

_Well, I don't think there's anything else to say, so… bye! And review!_

_-Rave-chan- _

_(my new nickname, given to me by __**4evaDestinied**_


	27. Chapter 26: Unexpected Discovery

_Hey everyone!!! As promised, I update soon, again! Just two weeks, that wasn't so bad, was it?_

_And I'm sorry if I haven't replied some of your reviews, I'm really exhausted lately… surprisingly, even after exams… and yes, all of you rock!!!_

_Someone told me that I should focus some more on the development of other characters and not only Sakura, and I promise that for the next few chapters, there will be more character development on others, okay??_

_And this chapter is going to hold some explosion, so I hope none of you will be offended by the changes…_

_Read on!_

N

Chapter 26 – Unexpected Discovery

Sakura healed. Slowly, but she healed. Frankly, she was rather surprised at the amount of visitors and gifts she received, it had never occurred to her that so many people felt that she was important to them. The waking moments at hospital were filled with her friends, narrating the day's happenings, gossip, laughing, helping her recover.

Naruto brought her plenty of ramen, claiming that his favourite food had 'therapeutic properties' even though Sakura choked at the idea. Tsunade half-killed the blonde boy each time he brought some into the hospital – she could no longer stand the smell of it. Having constant contact with the jinchuuriki was already more than she could endure.

Sai had deftly drawn several inked mice for her when she had complained about how boring it was being confined in the hospital. Sakura couldn't stop laughing when the next nurse that checked her room screamed at the sight of black mice scurrying over the white sheets and up Sakura's arm. For the first time since Sakura had met him, Sai looked genuinely amused at the scene.

Kakashi occasionally dropped by when he happened to remember his female student, bringing some small, random and useless present with him while offering her silent company, and to a certain extent, intellectual conversation. He let slip that the Kazekage had, rather awkwardly, told Kakashi that he wished Sakura a speedy recovery before he returned to Sunagakure. The pink-haired kunoichi felt considerably warmer towards Gaara after that.

Tenten, Ino, Neji, Shikamaru, Lee and the rest of the Rookie Nine visited often, too, updating her on the goings-on regarding their missions and most of the time, simply annoying her by telling her how much fun they were having outside _without_ her.

Through all that pretense, however, Sakura sensed it. The looming danger, the gnawing fear that was present no matter how much her friends and seniors tried to hide it from her.

War was approaching.

It was the beginning of the end; or the end of the beginning, no one knew for sure. All Konoha could be certain about was that they still had insufficient power to face the combined threat of Akatsuki and Otogakure, not after Orochimaru's invasion five years ago, and the shinobi wars before that. Even with the Sand's help. And Danzou, stubbornly refusing to disclose any details regarding his partnership with Deidara and Seijin while point-blank denying having any connections to the attack on the returning team, wasn't much help.

Sai secretly visited the haughty man in prison, coaxing him to talk by pretending that he was still supporting Danzou. What Danzou revealed to him, he told only the Hokage, and no one else.

But life went on. The funny thing about humans is that no matter what is thrown at them, no matter how hard they have fallen, they will keep on going. Living, fighting. Never giving up.

So two weeks later, Sakura was allowed to be discharged from hospital. Before she left, the pink-haired kunoichi had a long talk with her mentor, about an issue she had spent long hours debating during her hospital confinement.

Tsunade, however, had been hesitant and highly reluctant to do as Sakura requested.

"_Sakura, are you sure? It's a bloodline limit, and once it's sealed, there's no going back… it's not a wise decision, especially now, since you are already the last Haruno in existence,"_

"_I only want to seal off my wind and lightning chakra elements, shishou…"_

"_But still…"_

"_I can't handle this much, shishou! First the Nanabi, and then a bloodline limit?"_

"_Isn't that what you've always wanted? And the Nanabi… it's going to be sealed off later, isn't it?" Tsunade tried to convince Sakura to reverse her decision._

"'_Later' can be never," Sakura said softly. "And once the Bijuu is extracted… I die, don't I?" _

_That fact had never been confirmed by the Nanabi itself, but Sakura knew that it was most probably true. This task required sacrifice… right?_

"_I've had enough, Tsunade-sama… being able to surpass others may be my goal, but too much of it is something I can't bear…" she finished quietly._

So Tsunade had complied. A three-hour long ritual with Shizune's help, sealing off two of her bloodline limit abilities. Two circles of black runes surrounded the Haruno crest on her arm, sealing off her automatic wind and lightning chakra controlling abilities.

Naruto had gone ballistic when he found out what she'd done, but she didn't regret it. Somehow, Sakura felt lighter. She couldn't be sure what would come next in this bizarre turn of her life, but she was pretty sure that whatever it was going to be, she would be able to handle it.

N

Sasuke had allowed himself to be confined in prison after Sakura regained her consciousness. Naruto visited everyday after seeing Sakura, and left Sasuke with a huge headache each time. The Uchiha had nearly forgotten the one thing Naruto could beat all females flat at.

_Talking._

Kami-sama, that blonde idiot never _stopped_. First it was about Sakura, then the Jounin exams due in a month, then Hinata. Oh, and ramen. Sasuke was entirely, utterly, grossly _sick_ of ramen. Beef ramen, miso ramen, teppanyaki ramen and whatever else there was to that list. If the Uchiha caught sight of another bowl of ramen, he was going to throw up.

And he would make sure that he threw up in Naruto's face.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun, what's with that idiotic smile plastered across your face?" a laughing voice sounded. Sakura's pink head popped up at the bars, grinning.

Sasuke jolted visibly and quickly rearranged his features. He'd actually been smiling while thinking about throwing up on Naruto.

"You're out of hospital," the Uchiha deadpanned a statement as Sakura let herself in with a set of keys the prison warden had given to her _discreetly_. She felt kind of bad about what she was going to do, but that feeling was mixed with the giddy elation of breaking rules, something she rarely did.

"Yes, and it would take a real genius to figure that out," Sakura rolled her eyes, shutting the door behind her. "Why do I always get stuck with the intellectuals?"

"You define the dobe as an intellectual?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Sakura had to laugh. "Well, no," she admitted. "But you and Kakashi-sensei always have that maddening air of 'intellectual superiority' about you…"

The Uchiha let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort. "As _if_ you, Haruno Sakura, with all that brain, don't act 'maddeningly superior' like the rest of us,"

"Do I hear a hidden compliment from _the_ egomaniacal ass of all time?" Sakura teased with a straight face.

"I place more value on myself to let myself be compared to a donkey, Haruno, thank you very much,"

"You're welcome," Sakura smirked.

Sasuke would've stuck out his tongue at her right then if he hadn't had an image to maintain. He resorted to glaring.

Silence reigned for a few moments, and then Sasuke spoke flatly.

"So why are you here?"

The cherry blossom held a food container aloft, grinning.

"Just wanted to see my teammate… and I heard Naruto's been visiting… which means ramen. Lots of it."

"_Don't_ remind me," Sasuke groaned uncharacteristically.

"Hey, you weren't the only one on ramen therapy, okay? I had to endure two weeks, so quit complaining," Sakura thrust the box at him.

The Uchiha took it hesitantly, and saw a delicious looking array of sushi through the transparent lid. He suddenly felt extremely hungry, prison grub wasn't the best food in the world. Oddly, guilt was mixed with his hunger.

"Sakura,"

"Aa?" the kunoichi asked absently, looking out through the small, barred window.

"Sorry," he didn't say exactly what he was sorry for, but she understood, and smiled.

"Yeah,"

N

"Come on," Sakura suddenly stood, holding out a hand to the raven-haired shinobi. "I'm taking you somewhere,"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You _do_ understand the term 'being in prison', don't you?" he asked flatly after a long moment. "Besides, this cell neutralizes chakra,"

"Hey, I helped modify this prison. The chakra-nullifying jutsu was my idea, and it picks up _your_ chakra signature and neutralizes your chakra, not mine," Sakura was already performing some complicated handseals, casting him a sidelong glance. "And yes, I do understand the term 'being in prison', so I'm breaking a few rules here… do you have a problem with that?"

"Sneaking a prisoner out of prison… that sounds more like you're bypassing every last rule in the rule book instead of just 'breaking a few rules'," Sasuke deadpanned.

"Aw, shut up,"

Two of Sakura's bunshins appeared, and one of them performed Henge no Jutsu, switching appearances to look like Sasuke.

"Are our prison wardens really that stupid?" the Uchiha questioned skeptically. He was, after all, a high-risk inmate, a fact which he reminded his teammate of.

"The warden is my friend, and to put it nicely, he's agreed to look the other way for awhile. I think he doubts you'll escape while under my supervision," Sakura smirked, sounding like she smuggled prisoners out every other day.

"What am I, a child in need of a babysitter?" Sasuke grumbled under his breath.

"Do you really want to know? The answer's 'yes'," Sakura retorted, grabbing his arm firmly. "Hold tight,"

"Are you sure about _that_?" Sasuke smirked, making a move to grab her waist. Sakura slammed his hand away with maddening accuracy, right on his knuckles, and the Uchiha tried to hide his grimace of pain.

"Flirtatious showoff," Sakura rolled her eyes.

She transported them out.

N

Both shinobis fell heavily on a patch of grass, Sakura landing right on top of the Uchiha. That was tricky, transporting two people had been a lot harder than she had thought it would be…

"Get your arm off, Uchiha, I can't breathe," the cherry blossom pried his arm off her stomach, where it had whacked across her abdomen accidentally-on-purpose when they had landed, probably a payback for Sakura's previous hit. She stood up and dusted herself.

"A lot of girls would have died to be you a few moments ago," Sasuke observed with a maddening air of nonchalance as he, too, stood.

"Which is why I didn't transport us into the middle of the marketplace, I would have been murdered by now," Sakura shot back. "And unfortunately for you, I'm not from that majority of idiots," she deadpanned. "And don't you _dare_ start on my genin days, Sasuke, or I swear this fist will punch you to another dimension,"

Sasuke smirked inwardly. 'She sure is feisty,'

They were approaching a grassy place, fenced all around. The scene seemed only vaguely familiar to the onyx-eyed boy – until he spotted that emblem. A red-and-white uchiwa (1) fan, engraved onto every tombstone that was arranged neatly, in rows.

The Uchiha cemetery.

Sasuke was struck dumb. Sakura held back, observing him carefully, every twitch in his facial expression. It struck her that he suddenly looked very much like his younger self, perhaps at age seven. Worry, fear etched into a childish face with a furrowed brow. His steps were quick and hurried as his feet automatically carried him forward, along the route he probably knew by heart. Somehow, Sakura felt a pang. The rare show of emotion from Sasuke – now – it made her heart twist. He looked so agonized. _Desperate_, even.

He passed all the other dull, gray stones without a second glance, heading towards the two graves that mattered the most to him. The cherry blossom followed closely behind, silent, feeling as if she shouldn't be here, she shouldn't be seeing this side of him. The side that always remained hidden behind his arrogance and determination to reach his goals.

The Uchiha fell to his knees before two ornately built gravestones, bowing down low until his forehead touched the grassy ground. Sakura could've sworn that she had seen glistening crystal tears, trickling down the grass. She wanted so badly to hold him, comfort him, but she could not. This was not her sorrow. She was simply the narrator, the passer-by. She would never recall this moment in front of Sasuke; she knew that because he didn't like to appear weak. The only thing she could do for him was to keep this secret.

Sasuke himself was lost in his own world, staring at the grass before his parents' graves through eyes blurred with tears.

Uchiha Fugaku. Uchiha Mikoto. Parents, killed by their own son.

He stayed in that position for a long while, his tears running dry. When he lifted his head, he saw the fresh flowers placed there. Simple, white flowers, lilies-of-the-valley. He somehow remembered that his mother used to plant them.

Sakura suddenly found her voice. "I used to come here… after I visited my parents' graves," she said quietly, almost meekly, as if wondering if it was her place to speak. "I snuck into the Uchiha estate and found those flowers growing wild in the compound… so I always gathered those flowers for them, and I kept telling them… that one day, you'd come home,"

She was apprehensive, afraid of being reprimanded.

But Sasuke couldn't speak, he felt like thanking her but he couldn't find the words. He remembered… sitting in front of his parents' graves. Every day. After they died. Crying…

Those tears had dried now. A memory long gone, long past. Then-

He suddenly looked up at Sakura, and both understood simultaneously. There was someone else, apart from them. Hiding in the graveyard. There had been no attempt to hide the intruder's chakra presence, it was strong but not very familiar.

Taking charge rather instinctively, Sasuke stood and spoke in a even, commanding tone.

"Come out."

An order, not a request.

He barely dodged a sudden stream of icy sharp daggers, gliding through the air like silent ghosts, barely visible, as he pulled Sakura down along with him. A figure strode out rather confidently from behind a tombstone, and as he stepped into view, his face finally visible, both shinobis nearly jumped out of their skins, shock etched into their faces. Sakura was the first the speak, a bare whisper escaping her lips.

"Haku…?"

N

The tall, once fair-skinned boy stood before them, the gentler, softer features that they remembered had given away to a slightly hardened look. His pale face had grown more angular and a little longer, while his long, jet-black hair was tied up in a high ponytail.

So different. But it was Haku, nonetheless.

His hitai-ate was gone.

The two Konoha shinobis stared at him for a long moment, in utter shock, before regaining their senses. The young man before them remained as passive as ever, watching them carefully. It was impossible to read what he was thinking.

"I thought… you were dead…" Sakura could barely manage a whisper, but that whisper somehow carried across the distance between them and Haku. Her body tensed, while Sasuke was poised to deflect any attacks – Haku's last Ice Mirror jutsu on him was far from forgotten.

"Dead?" Haku looked trapped somewhere between amused and confused for a moment. "Since when?" Then he smiled almost maniacally, raising both hands, palms open and facing outwards.

The next thing both Sasuke and Sakura knew was a sharp, crackling sound, as if ice was being broken into pieces. Shinobi instincts kicking into action, both dodged swiftly, diving down and rolling to a side.

"Since five years ago?" Sasuke hissed an incredulous yet sarcastic answer to Haku's former question, deflecting icy daggers with a long sword that Sakura had flung to him out of nowhere. He was already missing the familiarity of his own sword.

Sakura was performing a quick Katon jutsu, sending small fireballs hurtling towards the Mist shinobi while melting the ice daggers effectively. He'd almost forgotten her kekkai genkai.

"Sakura, distract him. I'll attack from the rear," Sasuke dodged another ice dagger expertly, conveying instructions to the pink-haired kunoichi with relative calmness.

"Are you out of your mind? What am I supposed to do, punch the ground?" Sakura shot back scathingly, doing a backflip to avoid a particularly large dagger of ice. "This is a _cemetery,_ in case you've forgotten, you idiot!"

Sasuke paused for a moment, feeling rather stupid.

She was right.

"Why don't _you_ use Katon and I disable him? Knowing you, 'attacking' him probably translates into 'mauling the guy into bloody pulp before killing him'," Sakura cast him a sidelong glance.

Without waiting for his reply, she sprinted forward nimbly, disappearing suddenly. Haku's jet black eyes widened for a split second, but he was swiftly and successfully distracted by Sasuke's fireball jutsu, creating a solid ice mirror barrier before him to deflect the attack.

The Uchiha quickly dodged the fireballs that came whirling back, and executed a few more combinations of Katon jutsus in quick succession, all the while watching Sakura's stealthy movements pacing behind Haku, searching for an opening.

The Hidden Mist ninja sensed a sudden presence behind him and moved to defend himself – a glassy sheet of ice sprung up between them almost instantly. But he knew nothing of the kunoichi's strength.

Seconds later, the ice lay in shards, scattered on the ground, while the side of Sakura's hand reached out and hit the base of Haku's neck with a well-practiced, controlled amount of force. She would have broken his neck with any extra force.

"He's gotten rusty…" Sasuke spoke nonchalantly as he strode over, surveying Haku's still form with a certain air of distaste. "Different from when we fought him back then,"

"You and Naruto," Sakura corrected his definition of 'we', still looking slightly dazed. "I did nothing… but I have this funny feeling that I've just fought a ghost,"

"He survived Chidori," Sasuke said quietly, kneeling and examining Haku. There was a circle-shaped scar on his chest, where his heart ought to be. "And it was Kakashi's. There's no way he would have missed, so how…?"

"I have a theory…" Sakura trailed off, but shook her head, as if deciding not to say anything yet. "I better get him to Tsunade-sama… she'll have to question him,"

Both were silent for a long while, various thoughts floating through their minds. Neither spoke. Sasuke glanced around and inwardly heaved a sigh of relief – it was lucky that their fight hadn't disturbed anything.

"Do you… want to stay here for awhile more?" Sakura asked quietly, observing him looking wistfully at his parent's tombstones. He seemed to make a decision.

"No. I'll be fine,"

He didn't know why he had to tell her he'd be okay, perhaps it was to reassure himself as much as to reassure her.

"You sure?"

"I'll come again when I'm out of prison," Sasuke forced himself to turn away from his parents' graves.

Sakura seemed to fidget at his words.

"Sasuke… do you think you'll ever… get out?"

"I'm already out, aren't I?" the raven-haired boy questioned dryly, casting her a sidelong glance. "Those old hags can't charge me with anything,"

The cherry blossom still looked unsure, her eyes cast towards the distant horizon, not looking at him.

"Jounin exams, Sakura," Sasuke said suddenly.

"Aa?" she looked surprised.

"You said we'd go together, right?"

"Yeah…?"

"We are going," he glanced upwards at the clear sky. "Together."

Sakura looked stunned for a moment, before a slight smile spread across her face.

"Is that a promise?"

He nodded briefly, and the kunoichi took that for a 'yes'.

Suddenly grinning, Sakura created a kage bunshin and picked Haku's limp form up, slinging him over her shoulder. The pink-haired kunoichi winced slightly – she wasn't up to maximum recovery yet – before straightening herself.

"My bunshin can transport you back…" she told him. "C'mon,"

Sasuke's onyx eyes met hers for a moment, and held the contact. Not moving, not speaking. He was surprised to find that just doing nothing like that… it was almost comforting.

Sakura smiled again before turning and striding off, leaving her bunshin next to him.

"Remember your promise, Uchiha,"

N

"Hinata-sama! Move faster!"

The two Hyuugas were a blur of motion as they fought and retaliated, moving ever so swiftly upon the smooth, polished floorboards of the Hyuuga household dojo.

Hinata spun around, shoving her elbow upwards, aiming for Neji's abdomen. The prodigy easily dodged and delivered a kick at her feet. She leaped up, her fist snaking to the back before punching her cousin rather hard in the shoulder, sending him reeling backwards.

Neji skidded across the floor, bending forwards with his fingertips brushing the floor to regain his balance. Not even pausing, he somersaulted forward, spinning around with a roundhouse kick, with an attempted block from Hinata using her arm. Yet she fell heavily, panting to regain her breath.

In several moments, she was on her feet again. She was progressing rather well, her stamina was building steadily – as Neji noted with a slight swell of pride.

"Good. Shall I go all out?" he cocked his head to one side.

"As long as you don't destroy the dojo, nii-san," Hinata said quietly with a smile that could barely be glimpsed.

"Hn. I doubt you can push me _that_ far,"

The Hyuuga heir knew that her cousin was prodding her, challenging her to show some competitive spirit, to surpass him.

Well… that would never happen, but she could at least try, ne?

"Then don't say I didn't warn you," the younger girl teased subtly, twisting around to deliver a blow.

N

Hiashi was watching them. Through the slightly ajar door leading into the dojo, he could see the cousins perfectly. His original purpose in coming to the dojo was to summon the duo for a meeting, but he had ended up standing there for a full ten minutes, just watching.

He didn't know why he hadn't just sent a servant to call them… but when he had heard that they were in the dojo, something had compelled him to go personally. He wanted to see _something _that his daughter could do. Anything.

Truth to be told, Hiashi had missed a lot of Hinata's life. She was supposed to be his daughter, his heir, but he had given up on trying to teach her because she had been so slow to learn, so lacked the talent that governed and commanded respect in the Hyuuga household.

He regretted that. Instead of him, it had been Hinata's friends who gave her confidence, teachers whom had taught her all she knew. Never him, her father.

He had never been a part of her life.

There was so much in Hinata that he had failed to see, beyond that shy, stuttering exterior. Why had he never noticed? Was it because of his high expectations that made her so afraid to show what she could do?

"Hinata-sama, I supposed you, too, have noticed?" Neji halted her next attack, glancing towards the door.

The opaque-eyed kunoichi nodded quietly. Both turning to face the door, they acknowledged Hiashi's presence with the customary, respectful bow.

"Chichioya,"

"Hiashi-sama,"

The stately clan leader nodded in response, pushing open the door fully after removing his shoes, stepping inside. The polished wooden floor felt pleasant to walk on, Hiashi mused absently as he walked towards them. Since when had he begun to notice such details?

An awkward silence hung in the air, none of the three knew what to say.

Neji was quickly contemplating something in his mind – something that might help Hinata with her father.

"Hiashi-sama," Neji suddenly spoke. The Hyuuga clan leader glanced at him, rather surprised. "Please – allow your daughter to demonstrate something,"

Hinata, who had given in to her old habit of staring at the ground and fidgeting once in the presence of her father, looked up quickly, her eyes wide.

"What…?"

The Hyuuga prodigy whispered it to her. She looked mortified, then started shaking her head slowly, silently pleading with him not to make her do it. That was until Neji gave her a look – the look that Hinata knew meant that his word, whatever her opinion, was final.

The girl swallowed, then gave in reluctantly, quietly motioning the way out of the dojo.

N

Hiashi felt rather curious as he stood at the edge of the open-air training grounds belonging exclusively to the Hyuuga clan, situated right next to the Hyuuga estate. He observed his daughter walk to the center. He suddenly noted that she walked steadily, with her head held high – somewhat different from before.

"You will attack those two dummies," Neji instructed, his voice carrying across the vast training grounds as he pointed to two straw dummies. "I want to see _every_ hit, you understand?"

"Hinata nodded nervously, bracing herself.

"Now!" her cousin gave the command. Hinata paused for a moment, then pushed herself forward.

"Fuyu Dansu: Kaiten-Jyuken Ketsugo!" (2)

Immediately a whirling sphere of chakra rose around the girl, and just a Neji had done before, Hiashi took a few tentative steps forward, hardly believing his eyes.

The sphere was spinning – but why wasn't she?

It was the secret of Kaiten, passed down for generations, where a Hyuuga could emit chakra from all parts of their body and spin around so fast that the chakra formed a sphere. So why could Hinata stand so simply, yet have a Kaiten sphere that spun just as fast as his own would?

"Hinata-sama used the concept of a thinner wall for the Kaiten sphere, and used the characteristics of her wind element chakra to deal with the spinning," Neji explained, seeing Hiashi's bewildered expression. "So since chakra itself can spin faster than humans, her shield is almost solid – and it utilizes minimal chakra,"

Hiashi was speechless, his face blank.

"Did you… teach her this?" he asked.

"No," Neji replied, feeling somewhat what satisfied.

Hinata sprinted towards the two dummies, and struck, full force, imagining them to be Deidara and Seijin. It was really much easier that way, she mused.

'_Two – four – eight – sixteen – thirty-two…'_ she moved with increasing agility as she aimed to hit the two dummies simultaneously.

"Sixty-Four!" the Hyuuga heir skidded to a halt, bracing herself while panting heavily, fighting to regain her breath. The straw dummies fell apart limply, the visible result of Hinata's ferocious attack.

The entire training ground was silent. Servants and family members alike, who had gathered there out of curiosity about the commotion, were frozen in shock after realizing just _who_ had done that much damage in what seemed like less than a minute.

"The shy, stuttering Hinata-sama – "

"Can't be!"

"Did you see her – "

"How did she – "

Frantic whispers echoed all around as the crowd watched Neji and Hiashi step towards the Hyuuga heir, who straightened and looked straight at her father, feeling anxious while trying to make out his expression.

The Hyuuga clan leader stopped, right in front of his daughter. He raised his voice to allow himself to be heard clearly, speaking to the onlookers.

"Please leave us alone for a moment,"

Everyone hurriedly shuffled out amidst whispers. Neji turned to leave as well, but Hiashi halted him.

"Neji – dine at the main house tonight, at seven. We will be having a meeting shortly after."

"Hai." The boy bowed slightly, before walking away. Hinata could've sworn he had given her a grin before he left, wishing her luck.

They were alone now. Father and daughter. There was silence between them, it wasn't uncomfortable but it still felt awkward. _Extremely_ awkward.

"Hinata…" Hiashi looked rather hesitant. His arms were raised a fraction, as if he wanted to hug her but couldn't. Finally, he let them fall limply to his sides, giving up on his attempt. Instead, he spoke.

"I'm – proud of you,"

His daughter looked startled for a moment, then broke into a smile. Their father-daughter relationship had been barely existent for seventeen years, held back by a father's short-sightedness and clan protocols.

Perhaps it wasn't too late to try, at least. It wasn't much, but saying those words… it was a start.

Hinata seemed torn between laughing and crying as she stepped forward and hugged her father, feeling his arms awkwardly hugging her loosely as his expression switched from surprise to a very slight smile.

He had never known what it felt like to be hugged by his daughter, strict clan protocols regarding shows of affection had bred him into a rather stiff person. But he was surprised to find that it was pleasantly nice.

Hinata conveyed all that had remained unspoken for seventeen years through all her father's neglect, her quiet love and admiration for her father, her yearning to make him happy, make him proud.

She was safe with him. As she continued to experience the pleasant warmth that welled up within her, she felt somewhat thankful, grateful… and loved.

N

_Ha! Done… this was one long chapter… --groans and stretches—gosh, I'm so tired…! _

_Did you guys mind my theory about Haku still being alive?? I just needed him for the rest of the story… and besides, he's an interesting guy, I look forward to developing his character in this story… and yes, there will be more of the unexpected about him in the next chapter, so there!_

_In case you didn't understand some words…_

_(1)__**uchiwa**__: this is a Japanese round fan with a straight handle sticking out from the bottom, as depicted in the red and white Uchiha clan emblem. In fact, the name 'Uchiha' was taken from the name of this fan itself._

_(2)__**Fuyu Dansu: Kaiten-Jyuuken Ketsugo**__: Winter Dance: Kaiten-Jyuken Combination (this is the jutsu Hinata used in her part of the Four Seasons Dance in Chapter 10)_

_Alright… I updated pretty fast this time… so it's up to you guys to review now… I wanna sleep… --yawn—_

_G'night… ._

_-Rave-chan-_


	28. Chapter 27: Hyuuga: A New Beginning

_Gosh! 815 reviews, thanks a lot to everyone! I was nearly thinking that it wouldn't hit 800… ; but anyway._

_So, this chapter is dedicated to my 800__th__ reviewer,__**luckiducki23**__! Congrats, and thanks a lot for the load of reviews! Also, I would like to appreciate __FanFicHolic__Kurenai Chinoumi__ihearttoast09__ and __Defender of the Light__ for being some of my most loyal reviewers! I'll thank more of you next chapter, okay! _

_And I'm glad that most of you accepted Haku being alive, I was kinda afraid that people were going to tell me "Haku's dead, why can't you just let him stay dead?" or something like that ._

_So… on with the story, hope you guys will like this chapter!_

N

Chapter 27 – Hyuuga: A New Beginning

二十七 – 日向：新的开始

"Kakashi-sensei! Jiraiya-sama!"

The two men, who had been in quiet discussion under a tree, glanced up in surprise as they heard their names called.

A breathless pink-haired kunoichi sprinted towards them, with a noticeable lump slung over her shoulder. Kakashi's single visible eye narrowed – why did he feel as if he recognized that figure?

"Guess who attacked me in the Uchiha cemetery," Sakura panted, pausing to catch her breath.

"What were _you_ doing in the Uchiha cemetery, of all places?" Jiraiya crossed his arms disapprovingly. Visiting a cemetery when you had no business there was a stupid thing to do.

He was ignored.

"Sakura…" Kakashi's voice had dropped, drastically. "Is that… Haku?"

His student nodded grimly, Striding forward, she gently put Haku down and propped his limp form against the tree, then stepped back to let the two shinobi have a better view of the Mist ninja.

"Kami-sama… how…?"

For the first time in his life, Kakashi was struck dumb. He knelt beside the young man, pulling up his shirt and examining the scar on his chest just as Sasuke had done, back in the cemetery.

"Hey, hey, what's going on?" Jiraiya demanded to know, feeling utterly lost in the proceedings. "Who the hell is that?"

There was a moment of silence.

"I killed this boy… five years ago… with _Chidori_," Kakashi spoke in a low, disbelieving voice, not quite having gotten over his own shock. "We buried him!"

"So his supposed to be dead?" the Toad Sannin quizzed, looking rather confused before the full impact of the words hit him, and he leapt backwards, letting out a rather girlish shriek. "Is that a ghost?!"

Sakura sighed in exasperation. Sometimes she could really comprehend why Jiraiya usually exited Tsunade's office by flying through a window or a wall – courtesy to a well-aimed punch from the Godaime.

"He's alive," Sakura said quietly. "I don't know how, but he is,"

"It would've taken a medic like you of Tsunade-sama and a complete heart transplant for him to be alive," Kakashi reasoned, his brow furrowing uncharacteristically. "Two highly unlikely events considering the time and place, but that's my theory."

Jiraiya regained his composure, but stayed away from Haku anyway. "Well… there isn't much you can do now, theories aren't going to help and you wouldn't want him here when he wakes up… so why don't you get him to Tsunade-hime first?" he suggested lamely.

The cherry blossom nodded, picking Haku up easily. Kakashi started to follow her, before something struck him as rather odd. Haku – if Haku was as strong as he remembered from five years ago, Sakura shouldn't have had an easy time handling him. So how did he end up unconscious?"

"Sakura," Kakashi started curiously. "How did you take him out on your own?" his eyes narrowed suspiciously at her.

"That's classified, sensei," the kunoichi grinned, starting off at a sprint to avoid further questions. The Copy Nin shook his head and followed after her. Jiraiya stood stunned for a moment, before hollering after them.

"Hey! Take the back road, you idiots, you'll have people panicking!"

N

"…the last one was harder, we didn't know where to look, but we got all three in the end."

Sakura heard a part of the conversation coming from inside the Hokage's office, but did not hesitate to shove open the door, barging into the Godaime's room as she had done so many times before.

"Sakura!" Tsunade whirled around, obviously annoyed at Sakura's sudden intrusion. "How many times have I told you _not_ to burst in like that?"

"This is urgent!" her student protested, keeping Haku's limp figure carefully balanced on her shoulder. Spotting Shino's father, Aburame Shibi, seated in one of the chairs facing the Hokage's desk, she dropped into an apologetic bow.

"Gomen, Aburame-san,"

"No, it's alright. I was just about finished here, anyway." The older man said courteously.

"She could still have _waited_," Tsunade muttered under her breath. Sakura knew how she despised interruptions.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, Hokage-sama…" Shibi moved towards the door, preparing to leave.

Tsunade nodded, and then focused her attention on her student, with the sheepish silver-haired Jounin standing behind her. The Hokage radiated displeasure, Sakura could feel the dangerous vibes in the air.

"Put that unconscious lump down and talk," the Godaime ordered, sinking into her chair. "And you better have a good explanation, Sakura, Kakashi,"

The kunoichi wisely kept silent while Kakashi sweatdropped. _'How is this __**my**__ fault?'_

Sakura propped Haku against the wall.

She got the reaction she expected, as Tsunade sprang out of her chair and was next to the Mist ninja in an instant. "I read his report – isn't he supposed to be Momochi Zabuza's companion?"

Both Kakashi and Sakura nodded.

"Haku… wasn't he – " Tsunade started.

"Supposed to be dead five years ago, yes," Sakura finished rather grimly.

"Is there any chance he might not have died?"

"Chidori, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said quietly. "Mine. Straight through the heart. He didn't stand a chance, at least from my point of view,"

"And we buried him," Sakura added in an undertone.

Silence.

"Where did you find him?" Tsunade continued with a question.

"He attacked me in the Uchiha cemetery," her student explained. "But judging from what he said, I doubt he remembers anything of his past,"

Tsunade looked thoughtful for a moment, running various possibilities through her mind. "Get him into the lab," the Godaime said decisively, walking across the room. She pushed open a door and entered an adjoining room.

"Hurry up!"

N

Tsunade examined Haku quietly and thoroughly, a true professional at work. Sakura and Kakashi watched quietly, marveling at her deftness. Few medics had the Hokage's kind of composure at work.

"I don't know how to explain this… theory of sorts," Tsunade straightened after several minutes, looking at her student. "Kakashi, sorry but could you leave for awhile? I need to speak to Sakura alone – I'll summon you later,"

The Jounin gave her a thumbs-up and disappeared through the door.

Sakura cast a quizzical look at her sensei, and noted the sudden mischievous glint in Tsunade's hazel eyes. She sighed inwardly. This could not mean anything particularly good for her. Completely ignoring Haku's issue for a moment, the Godaime turned to her student and spoke.

"Tell me… how did you sneak Sasuke out of jail?" Tsunade gave the kunoichi a sidelong glance.

"I didn't!" Sakura feigned innocence.

The Godaime raised an eyebrow. "Let me see… you were at the Uchiha cemetery, and the fact that you shouldn't have been able to take Haku out on your own…"

"Okay, fine, fine," Sakura caved in. "I just used Kage Bunshin, Henge and then a simple transportation jutsu, that's all," Sakura grumbled like a five year old denied candy.

Tsunade grinned slightly. "That's my smart girl,"

"Anyway, back to the main topic of discussion," Sakura rolled her eyes while barely containing a smile, pointing at Haku. "What do you think?"

There was a long while of silence as Tsunade's expression reverted to serious once again.

"I think?" the older woman said quietly, watching the young man lying on the hospital bed. "You'll think it's ridiculous,"

"Ridiculous?" Sakura laughed lightly, almost bitterly. "You know nothing's ridiculous for me anymore, shishou, not after my becoming a jinchuuriki… it's like nothing's impossible, once that happened,"

Tsunade stared at her apprentice for a long time. "I think he used my 'Creation: Rebirth' technique," she spoke slowly, allowing her words to sink in slowly, to make an impact.

"But – I thought that was unique… you created it, right?" Sakura asked, slightly confused.

"Like with every other technique, 'Creation: Rebirth' may have variations developed by others," Tsunade explained, her tone heavy. "He may have found a way, theoretically, to use it, but had no need to try it out before, having his absolute defense as it is… but still, it's dangerous, trying to force your body to produce new cells at an alarmingly high rate can really kill a person, especially if your body isn't used to taking a lot of strain,"

"You still do it," Sakura said pointedly, raising an eyebrow.

"There are only a few things I value above my appearance, Sakura," Tsunade smiled. "But my guess is that he started the jutsu seconds before Chidori hit, and his cells multiplied fast enough to heal his heart, even if it was a slower healing. He may have started it as a last resort, not caring whether or not if he died… maybe the 'Haku' you buried was simply a bunshin, maybe he escaped elsewhere and collapsed… and maybe, the severity of the jutsu wiped his memory entirely,"

"So… a real 'rebirth', then," Sakura said softly.

Tsunade nodded.

The teacher and student stood in silence, observing the unconscious man. He looked so peaceful… an emotion Sakura had not felt for the longest time.

"Well, let's patch him up, then," the Godaime suddenly reverted back to her brisk, business-like self, examining Haku's scorched limbs.

"Scorch marks… Katon, I presume. Yours or the Uchiha's?" she questioned with a sly grin.

"Partly mine," Sakura grinned back.

"I swear, your bloodline is going to be a hell lot useful, Sakura… if only you hadn't sealed off – "

"We've been through this before, shishou. No more nagging, please," Sakura mocked annoyance. "It's sealed, and that's that,"

Tsunade replied with an easy shrug, and continued working in silence, Sakura assisting her.

"Tsunade-sama…" the pink-haired kunoichi remembered something she had wanted to ask.

"Yes?"

"Your meeting with Aburame-san… and his mission with Shino… what was it about?"

The Hokage regarded her with a passive face for a moment.

"Akatsuki."

Sakura jolted, remembering their encounter with the dreaded organization all too well. Sasuke…

She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts. "Neji and Shikamaru told you about our mission progress, didn't they?"

"Yes, and everyone was at the debriefing except for you," Tsunade pretended to look disapproving.

"Wasn't my fault…" Sakura muttered.

"Anyway, your team leaders said you're supposed to be in a 'hell lot of trouble'," her mentor cast her a sidelong glance. Sakura gritted her teeth and made a mental note to _kill_ both Neji and Shikamaru at first opportunity. Was it wrong to want to help her own sensei after she promised him?

"But no, the Aburame mission was not regarding the Akatsuki members you encountered," Tsunade continued before Sakura could protest.

"Then?" Sakura was puzzled.

Tsunade had finished healing Haku. She led Sakura back into her office, requesting Shizune to keep an eye on the unconscious young man. After settling into her chair and having Sakura sit opposite her, she continued.

"It's not so much about the Akatsuki members themselves, Jiraiya is already working on that, it's more about the rings that they wear,"

"Rings?" Sakura thought for a moment, then realization struck. She'd read about this somewhere, having had full access to the Hokage's personal archive of information. "Oh… you mean the ones they use to seal the Bijuu into that statue – the one that Neji saw with his Byakugan when we were outside the Akatsuki hideout to rescue Gaara?"

"You're catching up fast," Tsunade approved. "They use a forbidden technique, 'Fuin Jutsu: Genryuu Kyuu Fujin' (1) to draw the Bijuu out of the jinchuuriki while standing on the statue finger that corresponds to their ring finger. We're not exactly sure if all ten Akatsuki members are required to be present, but Jiraiya's still working on it,"

Sakura knew that jutsu, Chiyo had explained it to them awhile ago. She shuddered involuntarily, trying not to imagine what would happen to her if Akatsuki ever managed to capture her and Naruto. Death?

"Here. Take a look at this," Tsunade slid a file across the desk. Sakura accepted it and tentatively flipped the plain hardcover open.

The first page showed a list.

**AKATSUKI: RINGS, SYMBOLS AND WEARER**

**～零 ****(rei) "Zero", worn by Pain**

**～青龍 ****(seiryuu) "Azure Dragon", worn by Deidara**

**～百虎 ****(byakko) "White Tiger", worn by Konan**

**～朱雀 ****(suzaku) "Vermilion Bird", worn by Uchiha Itachi**

**～玄武 ****(genbu) "Black Tortoise", worn by Zetsu**

**～空****间 ****(kuchin) ****"Void", formerly worn by Orochimaru**

**～****南斗 ****(nanju) "Sagittarius", worn by Hoshigaki Kisame**

**～北斗 ****(hokuto) "Northern Star", worn by Kakuzu **_**(dead)**_

**～三台 ****(santai) "Three Levels", worn by Hidan **_**(decapitated)**_

**～玉女 ****(gyokunyo) "Virgin", worn by Sasori **_**(dead, now worn by Tobi)**_

She skimmed through the list, subconsciously memorizing the details. Also noting that the page was rather frayed and yellowed with age, with plenty of added notes in Tsunade's handwriting, Sakura placed the file back on the table.

"So…" she began uncertainly. "From what I overheard… Shibi-san and Shino found three rings – and since the rest are constantly worn by the Akatsuki members, I suppose that they found Kakuzu's _'Hokuto'_, Hidan's _'Santai'_ and Orochimaru's _'Kuchin'_, then…"

Tsunade nodded tiredly.

"And I suppose _'Kuchin'_ would have been the hardest to find because Orochimaru was still having it," Sakura theorized.

"Smart girl. Shibi and Shino retrieved Kakuzu's ring at the site of your battle, luckily Naruto's Rasengan Shuriken hadn't destroyed it completely. Shibi doubts Hidan even noticed his ring was gone, his bugs simply slipped the ring off underground, where Shikamaru buried that Jashin (2) fanatic," Tsunade sighed.

"And Orochimaru's?" the cherry blossom queried.

"Long story short, they found it at Orochimaru's last hideout, the location revealed by Pakkun who split up with Kakashi halfway through their mission. Apparently, the snake bastard just left it there… probably got tired of the reminder about Akatsuki,"

"It was as easy as that?" Sakura was surprised. "I mean, knowing him as one of the 'Legendary Three Sannin', I expected something more… _spectacular_,"

"We're not what we used to be, Sakura…" Tsunade's voice dropped as she swiveled her chair to face the window, watching the glorious evening sun set. For the first time since she had met the Hokage, Sakura realized that Tsunade was getting old. Maybe her skin had no wrinkles, maybe she still looked twenty, but then again…

Her hazel eyes had suddenly lost their spark, their brightness. She looked so tired, worried.

And Sakura suddenly felt afraid. She had always assumed that Tsunade would always be _there_, the thought of her teacher being plain human had never really occurred to her. So what if Tsunade wasn't there anymore?

She had grown too comfortable, the past five years. Sinking back into that old habit of taking everything for granted, like she had done with her grandfather, her parents, her brother. Everybody that mattered. Sakura never thought of how life would be without them before their deaths, she dwelled on it after they died, and now she was forgetting that lesson.

She felt a wave of regret wash over her senses, but her reverie was suddenly broken by the sound of pattering footsteps.

Shizune hurried into the room from the adjoining lab, reporting to Tsunade.

"In case you want to know, Tsunade-sama, Haku's awake,"

N

Hinata was swathed in an elaborate, embroidered kimono by her servants while Hanabi pulled her sister's hair into a neat twist, held together by a simple snowflake pin. The kimono was a milky white colour, embroidered with silver snowflakes and feathers. The pale blue obi went around her waist, expertly twisted into a bow at the back by the Hyuuga seamstress.

The servants were given the order to leave once they finished dressing the Hyuuga heir, leaving the two sisters alone in the large room belonging to the Hyuuga heir. Despite its size, Hinata's room was simply decorated, with small items that she valued instead of extravagant designs.

Hanabi sat down next to her sister, unusually quiet for once. Hinata often thought of how much Hanabi reminded her of Naruto, even though she was no match for his loudness. Like her namesake, fireworks, Hanabi was born to shine, with more natural talent than her elder sister. She possessed more confidence and poise, always sure of what she could do. Hinata, on the other hand, lacked that particular fiery spark of her sister's, and had to rely on hard work to compensate her lack of confidence.

Yet they were sisters, and sometimes, Hinata felt that that was all that mattered.

"I'm nervous, somehow," Hinata confided softly.

"Aren't you always?" Hanabi grinned, rolling her eyes.

"Hanabi! You're not helping!"

"I'm your younger sister, I'm supposed to bully you, not help you," the younger girl teased with a mischievous expression. "C'mon, nee-chan, it's just a meeting! Besides, you killed that traitor Hakujo, I bet everyone will be at your feet – literally,"

"That's not a very nice thought," Hinata commented dryly. "And this isn't just any meeting…" she trailed off into silence.

It was true. The ceremony tonight, before dinner, symbolized her coming of age as a Hyuuga, at seventeen. According to tradition, she would be ready to take on serious apprenticeship under the clan leader, namely her father, from this day onwards, to prepare her for her role later as Hyuuga clan leader.

Hanabi became somber. "So… you're going to tell them? Tonight?"

Hinata nodded. "It's my coming of age ceremony… if I don't tell them now, I never will have the chance – it wouldn't be _proper_ after this, like I'm withdrawing because I'm scared of the heavy duties,"

"What about chichioya? Have you told him?"

"If you count hinting that I will say something rather shocking at the meeting, then yes, I've told him,"

"I think he knows, in a way," Hanabi smiled. "But it's your path to choose,"

"Yes… and Neji-nii-san deserves the honour," Hinata said quietly. "Maybe, with this decision, I can make a difference in the way things are done in the Hyuuga clan. Maybe I can make us all equal,"

"You know, when you first told me your 'dream', I was thinking you wanted the impossible," Hanabi admitted. "But you've come really far, in five years… so I wish you all the best, no matter what,"

"Thank you," her elder sister returned a smile.

A sudden, sly grin crossed Hanabi's face. "Tell me, did Naruto-kun give you this crazy idea?"

"Sort of," Hinata whacked her sister on the arm to wipe off the annoying grin. "When he was fighting Neji-nii-san during our first Chunin Exams – when he said he'd change the Hyuuga clan when he became Hokage – I started wondering why we needed someone else to change us, why we couldn't just get over our pride and admit the problem, and change ourselves instead… but it was my idea to give up my position as heir and find a counter for the Hyuuga Curse Seal – Naruto-kun simply gave me the courage to do it," Hinata reprimanded, trying to sound severe.

Unfortunately, it only resulted in more teasing – Hanabi started sounding like a broken train whistle. "Isn't that just _romantic_…"

"Shut up, you little brat," Hinata laughed.

"Ooh, nee-chan's being rude!" Hanabi laughed even harder.

"You're _impossible_," Hinata shook her head and crossed her arms, mock sighing.

Glancing out of the open window at the beautifully crescent-shaped moon, Hinata found her thoughts drifting towards the loudmouth blonde.

'_It's funny how you change lives, Naruto…'_

N

Those seated in the Hyuuga mansion's meeting hall rose as Hiashi walked in, followed by Hinata, escorted by Neji. All three were dressed in fine traditional robes bearing the Hyuuga emblem on the back, and all three were seated at the far end of the long hall. The coming of age ceremony had been completed before dinner, and Hinata now bore the Hyuuga emblem in black on her left arm – a mark for every Hyuuga that turned seventeen.

The hall fell silent as Hiashi rose and began to speak, beginning with the usual introductions, thanking everyone for attending. People began to perk up as he started on the main topic of discussion.

"This year, my eldest daughter Hinata turns seventeen," the clan leader spoke in his baritone voice, each word ringing across the specially designed hall clearly. No one fidgeted, no one whispered while he spoke – the Hyuugas had always been brought up that way. "I believe that she is now ready to learn, to take on the responsibilities of a clan leader as our tradition dictates,"

This time, a murmur rippled across the room. Hiashi continued, in a quieter tone. "We have known her, for many years, as a shy girl with no outstanding abilities – and I must confess that I lost all faith in her – perhaps all too soon, because Hinata has proved to me that this girl before us today is no longer a girl, but a young lady who is worthy of our confidence and our respect,"

The man paused for a moment, to let his words sink in. "Hinata has taught me much, for the past year. I learnt that perhaps, one without talent at birth can blossom into something truly remarkable, quietly. Some things that we do not see before our eyes, exist despite our not realizing it, and Hinata's potential, to me, is one of those things. Therefore, I hope that all of you here will be able to accept her, guide her and have faith in my daughter to lead us all through the difficult times ahead… I believe we know what threats Konoha faces,"

Again, there was a ripple of whispers in the hall. Hiashi could pick out several discontented ones.

"Hinata has proven her worth," Hiashi's words came out strongly. "We know that she has killed the traitor Hakujo, and I believe her capable if _we_ are willing to trust her abilities,"

The stately leader resumed his seat, and motioned for Hinata to step forward, to speak. The shy girl rose, trembling slightly, but trying not to show her fear. That, at least, had to be admired.

She raised her voice slightly to make herself heard, bowing. "Thank you for coming today," Hinata paused for a moment, unsure of what to say next. She wasn't going to follow the given speech, that was for sure. She took a deep breath.

"I was born – and fated, destined, to be the Hyuuga clan leader after my father," Hinata clasped her hands before her. "At least, that is the general opinion."

There were several laughs to this comment. Everyone had actually expected Hiashi to allow his second daughter to succeed him instead.

Hinata let herself smile a little. Time to drop the bomb. "But – I do not choose this path,"

Deathly silence fell. Before anyone could contradict her, Hinata continued firmly, gaining confidence with each passing moment. She had spent so long preparing herself for this occasion, she couldn't blow it now.

"The Hyuuga clan has been divided for generations – which is, in my opinion, quite long enough. We constantly spend our days talking about fate and destiny, the inescapable truth that we are so famous for, but we have forgotten what is most important – family, and humanity. Nobody deserves to be forced to serve another human being without options, without a willing heart, but that is exactly what this clan is implying by setting up a Branch House and Main house," the opaque-eyed girl forced herself to meet the eyes of her audience. They hadn't expected this, she could tell. For years, this bitter truth was a fact that lay unspoken of.

"We have forgotten that humans are not ranked by birth nor by blood, but by their own characters, goals and capabilities. We brand Branch members with that abominable Juinjutsu (3) of ours, but for what reason? Aren't we all equal? What gives the Main house any right to make the Branch serve us, what gives us the right to inflict pain on them as we please? And _don't_ tell me that the Juinjutsu is there to remind them of their placing – because there never was any 'placing', because they're _not_ of a lower class!"

Neji sat, straight-backed, listening, absorbing every word. He'd been helping Hinata memorize the prepared speech, and what she was saying now – it was completely unplotted. Nothing like the stoic, boring speech about how she would serve and lead the Hyuugas well.

Honestly, he preferred this impromptu version. It was the truth, exposing everything as it really was.

"We are a clan. A family," Hinata said quietly. "I think we've forgotten the mutual respect that all of us deserve. The Main and the Branch houses are no different, only our ridiculous attitudes have created differences. You probably think I'm just sentimental because I'm a woman, but please. Stop trying to fool yourselves with illusions of the Main House superiority, because we've been living in our own perpetual 'genjutsu' for long enough,"

Several members of the clan weren't too happy with her words, Hinata could tell. Oh well, if she'd started, she might as well finish it, right?

"My father is ready to pass on his role of clan leader to me. But as I said at the very beginning, this is not the path I choose. I am not a worthy candidate for this post and I will not accept it. I may have killed a traitor, but I feel no glory because that simply stemmed from my inclination to protect my friends," Hinata paused, swallowing. "I cannot be all that you expect a Hyuuga leader to be, because that isn't who I am,"

"And you are proposing…?" an elder spoke up skeptically.

"My sister Hanabi has also told me that she refuses to hold this position, therefore, I choose my cousin, Hyuuga Neji, to take my place."

The whole room froze in complete silence, staring at Hinata who was defiantly staring back at them, daring them to challenge her word. Neji's eyes were wide with shock; Hiashi was sitting stark still (even though he had somewhat expected this) and the rest of them looked as if someone had just told them that Maito Gai was changing his haircut.

Then came the reaction.

"You can't – he's got the Curse Seal!" someone protested angrily from the back. "What rubbish is this, I disagree!"

Hinata almost enjoyed the sight of the stoic Hyuugas on the border of panicking. This was quite a change, indeed. The room suddenly felt like it had a bit of life to it.

"Neji-nii-san, show them," the girl said quietly, trying to keep her annoyance in check.

Still slightly dazed, the prodigy stood and slowly removed his headband.

The fabric fell away. Several gasps could be heard.

That green seal on Neji's forehead – it was _gone_.

"What – "

"Impossible!"

"How – "

"I found a way to reverse the seal," Hinata commanded attention with quiet dignity, returning silence to the room. "I don't believe that any of us should be branded like cows,"

She watched their faces carefully, amused at the expressions. She would have to store this image in her mind for recollection later, it was priceless.

"So, who wants to tell me that he isn't equal to any of us, now?"

Several people looked angry. "He's still a Branch – "

Hiashi promptly stood out, feeling a new spark blazing within him. He had let his brother be sacrificed for his sake, for his _life_ years ago, and he blamed himself for not having more of a backbone to prevent it. He didn't want the same thing to happen to Hinata, or Neji.

"I support Hinata's choice,"

"Hiashi-sama!" one of the elders started.

"My nephew, as all of you know, is a prodigy beyond any known Hyuuga, restricted only by our short-sighted views on how our fates control our paths!" Hiashi glared him down, strangely enjoying this defiance.

"That's completely out – "

"Listen to me!" Hiashi spoke fiercely, defending his daughter and nephew. "My brother was relegated to the Branch House simply because he was born second, after me. Years ago, I let him be sacrificed as my body double, an act that I regret to this day – but he died protecting _us_, hoping that his death would make us realize what's truly important! My daughter finally speaks the truth that we have evaded for generations, and you think she is insane? She was willing to find out exactly what was wrong with our clan, she made efforts to change our perception of how humans are 'ranked' – every word she has spoken is the truth, whether we like it or not!"

"But Neji – Branch member – head of clan – unacceptable!" one man spluttered disbelievingly.

From there began a chaotic, heated argument over the topic, some supporting Hinata's cause, some strongly opposing it while several others simply looked confused. Neji sighed, rubbing his temples. Sometimes… he just wanted to blow his top at them.

Hinata looked exasperated. Just as the noise level built to a maximum, her voice rang out. Not loudly, but clearly.

"That's quite enough,"

It was as if someone had pressed the 'pause' button on a remote, the effect was immediate. Everyone and everything fell silent, focused on Hinata. She drew a breath, speaking calmly.

"What is the use of having the Byakugan, if we see everything but the truth?"

With one last, passive glance at the frozen Hyuugas in the room, Hinata swept out, Hiashi and Neji following her.

N

_That's it! Chapter 27 done! _

_Some terms:_

_(1)__**Fuin Jutsu: Genryuu Kyuu Fujin**__ – Sealing Technique: Illusionary Dragon Nine Consuming Seals. It's the jutsu used by Akatsuki members to extract Bijuu from a jinchuuriki and seal it into a statue. _

_(2)__**Jashin**__: a wayward religion that Hidan followed in the manga, it focuses on hurting people._

_(3)__**Juinjutsu**__: basically, this is another term for the Curse Seal._

_I hope this chapter was informative on the Akatsuki rings, because that will be pretty important later in the story, so pay attention, okay! And also, there will be more about Haku next chapter, be patient!_

_The next chapter will be pretty long, and hopefully, I will be able to finish it by next week before I leave on holiday… so make sure you guys review, okay!!!! _

_That's about it, ja for now!_

_-Rave-chan- _


	29. Chapter 28: The Uchiha's Trial

_Yosh! Everyone seemed to want a new chapter so badly I hurried myself to do this… and thanks a million for all the reviews! _

_And yes, it's a good thing that Hina-chan stood up for herself and what she believed in – that part was really enjoyable to write, especially the line of "What is the use of having the Byakugan, if we see everything but the truth?" it was a random thought, actually!_

_So. Now we go on to the Uchiha, what will his trial bring???_

_Read on, and enjoy!_

N

Chapter 28 – The Uchiha's Trial

二十八 - うちはの审判 

Haku looked troubled and fearful as he watched Tsunade and Sakura walk in. He struggled against the straps that bound him to the hospital bed, and when Sakura caught his expression, she felt overwhelming pity for him.

He looked so lost, so lonely. As if he had not know, or had contact with humans for a long time.

'_Zabuza was probably the only 'family' he ever knew…'_ a sad thought crossed the cherry blossom's mind.

"Who are you? _Where am_ _I_?" Haku demanded, glaring up at Tsunade as the Godaime neared him, her expression flat. She would have to carefully judge his current abilities and character first, before making any assumptions.

"Who I am isn't important," Tsunade spoke smoothly. "And you are in Konoha's hospital,"

"Konoha…?" he looked confused. "But my home… is in the Mist village…"

Tsunade and Sakura glanced at each other.

"Tell me," the Hokage asked suddenly. "What's your name?"

"Haku."

He said it without hesitation, implicating that he knew that for a fact. _'At least he remembers __**that**__,'_ Tsunade thought rather grimly.

"Anything else you remember?" she queried again.

Haku looked like he was about to answer, before he thought the better of it and started struggling against his bonds again. "Why are you asking me these questions? You can't – let me go!" his voice rose to a yell as he struggled even more frantically, bewildered.

"We're trying to _help_ you," Sakura told him, firmly and clearly while holding his thrashing arms down to prevent him from hurting himself. "Tsunade-sama… maybe we could release his bonds, to calm him down?" she requested. "We're treating him like a prisoner…"

"No," the Godaime was adamant. "We don't know how violent he may get and I'm not taking any chances here. Haku, please just answer my question,"

N

It was a tedious process, trying to extract information from the stubborn shinobi, and in the end, Haku fell asleep, tired from struggling, while Tsunade and Sakura sat up late, discussing the matter and the steps best taken.

"Shizune!" Tsunade called for her assistant. The raven-haired woman hurried in. "Summon Jiraiya, Kakashi, Anko, Neji, Shikamaru and Naruto now. Take this pass and get the Uchiha here as well,"

"At twelve a.m., Hokage-sama?" Shizune asked with a raised eyebrow. "Shikamaru isn't going to be happy…"

"Ask him if he's keen on feeling my fist tomorrow," Tsunade replied curtly. Shizune laughed and exited.

"So… we're going to keep him as a Konoha shinobi?" Sakura asked, uncertainly. "Won't the Mist village authorities protest?"

"Technically, he's classified as a missing nin due to his alliance with Zabuza – listed as a wanted shinobi across all five countries. But now that they think he's dead, he's off the list – I'd rather not pull up such a huge issue for nothing, the fuss would do Konoha no good, and besides, they'll probably come up with some crackpot theory about Zabuza having done the same thing and start hunting him again," the Godaime explained, quietly. "Seeing Haku's condition… I don't think he deserves any of that,"

Silence, for a moment. Then Tsunade continued.

"Right now, he's considered to be trespassing into Konoha because we know that he has no authorization pass to enter – he could be charged and punished for that offense. So… since he was 'taken in by an elderly couple' and can't remember anything from before that'… it's just much easier for all of us, if we request that he change his allegiance to Konoha instead. Besides, with everything we're going through, he's an asset to us, you know that."

"But still… making him switch loyalties from Mist to Leaf just seems wrong…" Sakura said skeptically. Always having been one who prided herself on loyalty towards her village and comrades, she remained uncertain about this decision – asking someone to switch loyalties?

"Missing nins have no allegiance, remember?" Tsunade reminded her, sighing. Just as Sakura was about to say something, a knock sounded, and the door opened.

A rather grumpy Jiraiya strode in, followed by Kakashi, who was, for some reason, grinning. Naruto was dragging his feet, looking like he hadn't slept in a week. Anko followed, and last came Sasuke, escorted by Neji and Shikamaru. True to their rank, both Jounins looked serious and alert.

"What's wrong with you, old hag, you just interrupted my drink," Jiraiya muttered under his breath, not daring to speak any louder for fear of Tsunade's fist.

"Did I interrupt your drink or your time with girls?" Tsunade cocked her head to one side, raising an eyebrow.

The Toad Sannin had no reply.

"It's twelve-thirty in the freakin' morning, baa-chan…" Naruto yawned loudly, hunched over. Sakura could've sworn he was drunk or something, if Naruto actually drank. Kakashi pinched the boy, hard – resulting in a loud yelp and a glare.

Tsunade waited for things to calm down, before speaking straight to the point, "All of you probably have gotten wind of Haku, former Mist missing nin, having been found in the Uchiha cemetery with utterly no memory of his past,"

Naruto was wide awake now, shocked. If Neji and Shikamaru were surprised, they did well to hide it.

"Wh- what?" the jinchuuriki said disbelievingly.

"Haku? As in the companion of Momochi Zabuza?" Shikamaru frowned. "I thought he was – "

"Dead?" Sakura finished his sentence for him, almost feeling sick of the question. "Well, apparently not. At least, he was very much alive when he attacked me in the Uchiha cemetery," she quipped. Sasuke caught her eye and smirked. Tsunade continued her statement.

"If you're done gaping, I just wanted to say that we will be accepting Haku as a Konoha shinobi," the Godaime closed her eyes, crossing her arms. "He doesn't remember anything from before he was supposed to have 'died' from Kakashi's Chidori, so I think that it will be a lot easier if I simply build a new identity for him, based on whatever information I have managed to glean from him,"

"You're forgetting the elders, Tsunade-hime…" Jiraiya frowned, making eye contact with his childhood teammate.

The Fifth waved a hand dismissively. "What they don't know won't hurt them, they already have the Uchiha's case to deal with,"

"So… why are we here?" Neji questioned quietly.

"Good question," Tsunade turned to him. "You, Shikamaru and the rest of Team 7 will keep an eye on him. Make sure people don't get too suspicious, one of you should be with him at all times to make sure he does things right and doesn't offend anyone here. I'll slip a file on him into our archives and create a slightly different identity for him, in case anyone checks. Also, make sure he doesn't use that signature of his – the Ice Mirror Jutsu – too freely, it'll draw a lot of attention," she instructed. "Meanwhile, Anko… how are the preparations for the Jounin Exams?"

"Near completed, everything has been set up and is running smoothly. We will be receiving registrations starting next week. Also, as you ordered, foreign shinobis will not be allowed to enter Konoha until two days before the exam. And Tsunade-sama – I would like to ask you to reconsider your decision of letting shinobis from Suna enter early, because there will be chances of others impersonating them, and since we don't know their shinobis as well as we do our own, we should make the rule apply to them, too – I think Sunagakure will understand," Anko spoke.

Tsunade nodded. "Good point. Get a carrier bird to inform the Kazekage of the changes after this,"

The Jounin nodded.

"About that rule… aren't the other villages complaining? Those taking the exam usually want extra time to scout around the area," Jiraiya asked gruffly.

"It's precisely because of that situation that I can't allow them in earlier – two days should be enough for basic scouting. They'll be able to gather a lot of information on our security measures if we let them in earlier," Tsunade explained.

"And Anko – about our shortage of Chunnins taking the exam – I'm putting Haku in, too, so just see to how we can fix up the four-man teams,"

"Roger," Anko acknowledged.

"Alright, Team 7 stay, the rest are dismissed,"

After everyone else had left, Tsunade studied the team standing before her, comparing their faces to those that she remembered from five years ago. How much they had all grown…

"Sasuke, your last hearing is tomorrow – don't disappoint your team," the Fifth Hokage spoke quietly. "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you have a good chance of entering the Jounin exam, most of our existing shinobis agree to allowing you exemption from the Chunin level – if you pass a series of tests next week – and that is also only if you are cleared of all charges at your hearing tomorrow,"

Naruto was grinning, all trace of sleepiness gone as he thumped Sasuke hard o his back and received a death glare in return.

"Sometimes, dobe, I think you have a death wish," Sasuke deadpanned, trying not to wince.

"Don't you glare at me, teme, you're the one in trouble now," the blonde loudmouth grinned cheekily.

Sakura laughed. "Aah, Sasuke will be fine… won't you?" she teased.

"Stop fussing over me," Sasuke muttered at his teammates.

"Like that's ever gonna happen, teme, you need a babysitter so badly…" Naruto playfully cuffed his teammate and ruffled his chicken-ass hair, while the Uchiha retaliated and Sakura, still laughing, tried to break them up.

Tsunade surveyed the scene with a barely visible smile. Team 7, to her, was the team that stood out most. So different, and at the same time, so close. Even if they'd been apart for five years.

"You're a lucky man, Hatake Kakashi,"

The silver-haired Jounin grinned beneath his mask, his orange book held limply by his side. He watched his team with a certain pride, like a father watching his kids grow up.

"I know,"

N

She had nearly forgotten how beautiful the dawn could be. Sitting on a fallen log in the old training grounds her team used to train at, Sakura watched the vibrant hues of sunlight rising from the east, caught up in her own dreamland. Everything felt so fresh, so new in the morning. If Shikamaru liked watching clouds, Sakura loved watching the sunrise.

A new day, new hopes, new dreams. A new beginning. The sunrise was never the same, each day.

"I swear, you'll find yourself in a hell lot of trouble if you let yourself off-guard like that… I've called you twice already!"

Sakura whirled around, startled, only to find a brown-haired kunoichi smiling at her. Contrary to her usual buns, Tenten had her hair plaited into a messy, single long plait that hung down her back. Sakura figured that she hadn't bothered to tie up her hair today, as Tenten usually slept with her hair braided that way. Still, the kunoichi looked perfectly ready for combat, as always.

"Well, at least if I die now, I'll die happy," Sakura retorted, going back to watching the sunrise.

"What?" Tenten mocked surprise, sitting down beside her friend. "Without marrying the Uchiha and having kids?"

"You talk a lot," Sakura complained with a half smile. "Aren't you supposed to having your sparring session with Neji?"

"I'll let him sleep in today, he's been busy with some Hyuuga clan matters – and frankly, I'd rather not get involved at this time," Tenten cast her a sidelong glance.

"Oh, c'mon – you know Neji's like a clockwork, he wakes up at dawn no matter what – fat chance of letting him 'sleep in'," Sakura rolled her eyes. "So Hinata told them already?"

"Yeah, last night – at her coming of age ceremony. Caused quite a ruckus, apparently,"

Sakura laughed. "Well, it's time _someone_ knocked sense into those stoic Hyuugas about their twisted hierarchy,"

"You know…" Tenten trailed off, changing the topic while staring at the rising sun. "It's weird, really… to think of how much we've all changed,"

"Ino hasn't changed all _that_ much," Sakura said innocently. "No one screams louder than her if we _dare_ wake her up at this 'ungodly' hour – which is why she has never experienced a sunrise before. I'm surprised that she has the patience to go cloud-watching with Shikamaru, actually,"

Tenten chortled.

Both girls sat in comfortable silence until the sun rose considerably, then Tenten sprang up energetically and suggested that they spar.

"Tsunade-sama hinted that I might be put with your team for the Jounin Exams," she added slyly as Sakura stood.

"That's great!" Sakura cheered, high-fiving the weapons mistress.

"So? Shall we work on some techniques?" Tenten grinned. "We could use some collaboration on actual training,"

"You said it," Sakura replied, daring across the training ground. "Spar first!"

She leapt aside nimbly as a kunai flew at her, landing in a tiger crouch, smirking.

"I'm not gonna go easy on you, Tenten!"

"Look who's _talking_!" came the incredulous, confident reply as a barrage of weapons flew.

N

"HIYAH!" Sakura's fist smashed into the ground as Tenten disappeared. Seconds later, an array of weapons came flying out of the jagged crevices of earth and rock as Tenten rose out of the ground, and another storm of shurikens spun wildly towards their imaginary target simultaneously, accompanied by two Fuuma Shurikens that traveled in a wide, cutting arc.

Sakura caught them as they spun back, panting heavily. Tenten climbed up to where Sakura was standing, plopping down next to her, exhausted.

"Sakura, your punch was too strong, you'll sink your opponents before any weapons can do much damage," a cool, collected voice sounded from somewhere to their left. "Tenten, practice widening and narrowing your weapons range to accommodate the spread of your targets,"

"Kakashi-sensei…?" Sakura addressed the silver-haired Jounin leaning casually on a nearby tree in surprise. She caught his hand moving towards his weapon pouch and stiffened, but a kunai suddenly whizzed past her at lightning speed and struck Kakashi squarely in the chest – and he disappeared.

"Bunshins," Tenten sighed, leaping to her feet. "Brace yourself; Kakashi's not going to give us any breaks,"

"Be alert, Sakura!" a deep voice warned, ringing through the clearing surrounded by trees. Both kunoichis spun in different directions as numerous Kage Bunshin materialized right in the middle of the training ground and began to charge at them, weapons aloft. Tenten sent out a barrage of weapons, dispelling about half of them.

"Tenten! Futago Ryuu no Kaiten!" (1) Sakura hollered, yanking what looked like a long, thin piece of fabric out of her pouch. Both kunoichis sprinted towards opposing trees, gaining speed as they mounted the tree trunks, running up by controlling the chakra flow to their feet.

Once they had reached a certain height, Sakura and Tenten arched their figures backwards, propelling themselves off the trees while somersaulting past each other through the air. Tenten deftly caught the other end of the trailing 'fabric' in mid air. As their feet touched the opposite trees, both twisted around and leapt down, stretching out the fine net that Sakura had been holding, and clamped the net down firmly on the ground while landing, trapping Kakashi's bunshins.

All that happened so fast Kakashi had let himself be caught off guard. Now, Sakura sent a shockwave of chakra through the net, dispelling all the other bunshins – leaving Kakashi crouched rather sheepishly in the middle.

"You lost, Kaka-sensei," Sakura grinned.

"Ah well… it _was_ two on one…" the Jounin stuck up for himself, protesting. Everyone knew that he had purposely let himself be caught up in the attack just to experience the effects, but hey, a little teasing didn't hurt.

"Sour grapes much?" Tenten snorted. Kakashi laughed.

Sakura retrieved the net and stowed it back into her pouch. "How long have you been watching?" she asked, even though she knew. She'd sensed him awhile ago.

"Dunno. 'Bout half an hour?" Kakashi shrugged. "This second technique you two used is more unique, especially the net thing…"

"We figured the chakra shockwave would work better for Sasuke or Naruto, since their Wind and Lightning element chakra can either hurt or render the enemy unconscious," Tenten reasoned. "And even though technically, it can be done by two, a four man team would be more effective for this because while two are holding the net, the other two can prevent the targets from escaping,"

Kakashi nodded. "Both of you have perfect teamwork, as I expected. For the other technique that I saw earlier – remember my pointers. When Sasuke and Naruto train with both of you, incorporate their hit-smash technique into the part after Tenten throws her weapons – that should deal with opponents who have managed to jump up to avoid the attack," he instructed.

Sakura nodded, the flopped down, spread-eagled on the ground. "That's it, I'm _exhausted_…"

Tenten poked her playfully, laughing.

"Good job, both of you," Kakashi commented, hands in his pockets. "Tenten, you'll be training with us from next week – don't forget, okay?"

"As long as you don't turn up late, as you're notoriously famous for," Tenten retorted, not missing a beat.

Kakashi smiled easily. "Well, gotta go… Sakura, don't forget – Sasuke's hearing is at two, if you want to attend. You better have some lunch and take a bath,"

"Yes, _dad_," Sakura rolled her eyes as her sensei disappeared with a grin and a farewell wave.

"He treats me like I'm five," the cherry blossom grumbled, sitting up.

"Well, don't complain," Tenten smirked. "_You're_ not the one getting a two-hour lecture on 'youth' every time you meet your sensei and his favourite student,"

N

Sakura took a deep breath, standing before the doors of the courtroom with Naruto beside her. Seriously, the elders were making a big fuss – using one of the main courtrooms for a hearing, not even a court case.

"Naruto – I don't think – I can go in…" she suddenly said in a strained whisper.

"Why not?" the jinchuuriki frowned, clueless.

"I'm _nervous_, dammit! I can't stand waiting for the elders to decide on Sasuke's case!" Sakura burst out desperately, suddenly feeling emotional. People were beginning to stare. "I'm just – scared that they'll – give him some horrible punishment – or – " Sakura continued in a lower voice.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto sighed. "You _heard_ Tsunade baa-chan, the teme's got a ood chance of getting off, and so far, so good – why are you getting worked up now?"

"I'm just worried…"

"Don't, then," Naruto said firmly, dragging her in. "Look at that teme, he's supposed to be the one panicking, not you,"

Sasuke looked impeccably calm as he stood at the doorway at the far end of the courtroom, waiting to be given the signal to enter. Despite the mounting nervousness in her, Sakura kept a straight face and forced herself to calm down.

Everyone rose as the panel of jury walked in, then sat, waiting for the judge.

Naruto squeezed the pink-haired kunoichi's arm and grinned reassuringly at her.

"Trust Sasuke, he'll be fine,"

N

The atmosphere was somewhat tense as the judge, an elderly man of around eighty strode in serenely, followed by Sasuke, who had, apparently, refused to be 'escorted' by the guards, and walked slowly behind.

His face was stoically blank, as always, but when he caught Sakura's worried expression, his eyes softened a fraction – as if reassuring her that everything would be okay.

The cherry blossom studied the jury carefully. Most of them were the village elders, but Sakura was relieved to see Asuma, Genma and Kurenai amongst them. They would support Sasuke.

The judge sat, his snow-white hair and beard impeccably neat. There was a ripple of murmurs as people shuffled back on their seats on the benches. The courtroom was full, almost half of Konoha's population had turned up – all eager to know the Uchiha's fate.

"Final hearing of Uchiha Sasuke, aged seventeen. The charge: for leaving Konoha to join missing nin Orochimaru in Otogakure. He claims to have never killed any of Konoha's shinobis nor betrayed any of our defense and internal information to the enemy," the judge read, adjusting his glasses.

Sakura's hands were clasped tightly in her lap. Sai, sitting next to her rather nonchalantly, touched her arm and whispered. "Stop worrying, you old hag, you're getting more wrinkles by the second,

The smile he received for that jab was rather grim.

Sai's gesture had not escaped Sasuke's attention, and he spent the next few moments glaring in that general direction, completely missing the first question.

His cross-examiner coughed. "Uchiha,"

Sasuke forced himself to pay attention to his questioner.

"What will you do if you are released?" the pudgy, balding man repeated the question.

Sasuke shrugged lightly. "Take part in the Jounin exams with my teammates,"

"If I am not mistaken, you are still at Genin level…?"

"Would you rather we take this outside and I prove to you if my skills are still 'Genin level'?" Sasuke shot back with a thinly veiled threat.

"I am not a shinobi, Uchiha," the man replied calmly. Sakura had to give him credit, most people cowered at the mere sight of Sasuke. "But back to you. Perhaps we shall skip the Jounin Exams matter – now, why did you return?"

"My friends managed to persuade me," came the simple reply.

"But if you acknowledge that they – " the man gestured to Team 7 "- are your friends, why did you leave in the first place?"

"Perhaps I made a mistake," Sasuke spoke quietly. This was something new to him, admitting a mistake. He usually didn't make any. "But did _you_ ever have a goal to achieve, a goal that required more than what was available at the current time and place…?"

"By that 'goal' I assume that you mean revenging the Uchiha clan?" the examiner said bluntly.

Sasuke nodded curtly.

"So that was your only reason for joining Orochimaru?"

"Yes,"

"But what about the fact that he intended to take over your body once you were done?"

"I had no intention of letting him do so,"

"You are confident that you would have been able to stop him?"

"I stopped him once. Metempsychosis has to be done every three years, it's been five years now. One more year before he tries again,"

Sakura shuddered. He said it so matter-of-factly, as if it didn't matter to him whether or not Orochimaru inhibited his body. The examiner moved on to another topic, probably uncomfortable with this one.

"Did it ever strike you that your actions were purely selfish, abandoning people who cared for you on a mission to kill?"

"You don't understand," Sasuke's voice was low, after a moment of silence. "You've never experienced losing _everything_ in just one day, never expecting it, never seeing it coming. You don't know how it feels, no matter how many people you've heard from, no matter how many people you've 'counselled'. So stop trying to act like you know how it feels, stop telling me how I should have 'considered' my options five years ago instead of running off – because you'll only know how I felt when they're gone, everyone who matters. _When you'll do anything to get them back_,"

The courtroom was silent. It was the first time Uchiha Sasuke had said anything more than a sentence.

'_I understand…'_ the whispered thought floated in Sakura's mind as her emerald eyes locked with his onyx ones.

"Killing Itachi is something I will not give up on, because it's important to me – whether or not it's good or bad in our opinion," the Uchiha finished quietly, indirectly speaking to Sakura.

His examiner stared at him for a few moments, before turning to the judge. "No more questions, Your Honour,"

The second questioner stood. Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, sighing.

Somehow, this hearing was making him reflect on his decisions a little too much.

N

"The jury, please step into the room behind, court is dismissed until the jury has reached its verdict," the judge hammered his gavel, and people began shuffling out, murmuring and talking.

They were not allowed to speak to Sasuke yet, but as they passed him, Sakura gave him a small smile, trying to reassure him – when, in reality, she was the one who needed reassurance.

Once outside, Sakura leaned heavily against the wall, sighing.

"So, what did you think?" Kakashi asked casually, flipping through his book.

"I don't _want_ to think," Sakura groaned.

"The teme did fine, I loved his answers," Naruto grinned. "The examiners' faces were _priceless_,"

"It's not funny, Naruto!" Sakura said exasperatedly, "They can very well decide to kill him instead of releasing him!"

"I'd like to see them _try_," Naruto snorted. "Kill Uchiha Sasuke? Forget Akatsuki and war, they'll have a mob of murderous fangirls after them next,"

Sakura had to laugh.

"Just look at the whole thing from a logical point of view," Sai spoke boredly, standing next to Kakashi. "Konoha faces the threat of war and the Uchiha is an asset to our manpower, no matter what he has done. Our elders may be utter idiots, but they're not as stupid as _that_,"

"That's true," Kakashi agreed, his nose still buried in his book.

"Well, you're not helping, you're student's being charged in court and you're still reading that stupid book," Sakura muttered.

Kakashi reached out a gloved hand and ruffled her pink hair, never taking his eyes off his book. By now, murderous vibes were coming off Sakura. She hated having her hair ruffled and her sensei knew it.

"it's my de-stress method, Saku-chan…"he said innocently, hardly noticing her death glare.

The kunoichi gave up and slumped to the ground in a sitting position.

"he won't let you down, you know," Sai said suddenly, staring at the courtroom door. It was almost time to re-enter the place.

"Huh?" Sakura looked at him, confused. Sai grinned.

"Didn't you happen to see the way he glared at me when I spoke to you?"

N

Pein stood, staring blankly at the falling rain, his face and piercing eyes carefully masked as not to show any trace of emotion.

Konan, his female partner, stood silently next to him, watching the retreating figures of Seijin and Deidara growing fainter through the rain, in the distance.

They were accustomed to this. Silence. A mutual understanding existed between them ever since they could remember.

"So we make our move soon?" Konan questioned flatly, softly.

"They are the last two. Tobi-sama insists, you heard him," Pein glanced over at her emotionlessly.

"Konoha is preparing for the Jounin exams, ne?"

"Judging by the stricter enforcement of security, they are prepared for war, as well," Pein continued staring at the rain.

Silence.

"Are you worried? The Uchiha boy… plus the nine-tails and the Nanabi?" Konan took a step closer. There was hardly any distance between them now, yet she seemed to be hardly touching her partner. "They hurt four of the Akatsuki, too, they must be quite something…"

"They find strength in numbers. Itachi can take care of his brother. My clones will take care of the rest," came the quiet reply. Pein turned to walk back in, sweeping past Konan with a glance.

"They're nothing we can't handle,"

N

"Freak, what happened to both of you?" Seijin asked incredulously as the pair of them – Deidara and himself – met Itachi and Kisame in the Akatsuki base, both whom were still recuperating from their previous encounter with the Konoha shinobis. That defeat had been a sore hit for both of them, many of their fellow Akatsuki had been rather surprised when the two men returned, bloodied, but they knew better than to comment.

Seijin, however, had no restrictions on that part. The word 'discretion' never existed in his vocabulary, and paired with his arrogance, he irritated everyone he met.

"Finally met your match, Itachi-_san_?" Deidara couldn't help smirking, feeling a wave of satisfaction as he saw the Uchiha twitch. He eyed the chest bindings Itachi had on under his cloak, visible through the open front. _'Those brats are really something… made me lose an arm, and hurt __**the**__ Uchiha like that…' _Deidara thought rather wistfully. Both Kisame and Itachi still bore marks of that particular fight, numerous gashes tainting their torso.

"Watch your mouth, Deidara," Itachi retaliated smoothly, his blank stare icier than any glare. The explosives master narrowed his eyes and returned the favour, not about to be outdone.

Both were locked in a stare-down for several moments, Deidara's angry orbs clashing with Itachi's stubbornly blank, blood-red ones.

"Not worth your time," Kisame's hand grasped Itachi's shoulder firmly. No one without a death wish would do that, but the shark-faced man sensed that Itachi's intent to kill was skyrocketing and it wouldn't do for Akatsuki to be bickering amongst themselves now.

Itachi seemed to start forward a fraction, but paused as Kisame's grip on his shoulder tightened. Casting another cold, blank stare at the duo, Itachi turned and continued down the dimly torch-lit passageway, Kisame behind him, without another word.

N

Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura and Sai settled back into their seats in the courtroom, in tense silence. Naruto gave Sasuke a thumbs up, but Sakura, somehow, daren't look in that general direction.

Behind them, two women sat, gossiping rather too loudly to Sakura's distaste. They were talking about sensitive issues, in the cherry blossom's opinion, and her fists clenched tighter with every word she heard.

"The Uchiha will be getting off scot-free, I suppose…"

"Isn't that what always happens? You know he's the only Uchiha descendent left with a claim to his family's fortune… he probably bought his way out,"

"Come to think of it, the Godaime seems to favour him, doesn't she? Maybe he bribed her,"

"Or maybe it's because of her apprentice, that pink-haired Haruno girl… she had a major crush on him when she was young, didn't she? Maybe it didn't wear off… after all, I heard from Ami that she's nothing but a boy-chaser, typical girl…"

Naruto felt the dangerous aura radiating off Sakura, while the two women behind them remained blissfully unaware of their impending death sentences. Heck, he doubted that they had even noticed Sakura sitting right in front of them. Which would make them pretty blind, considering her mop of conspicuous pink hair.

"… that woman never acts respectably, I mean, she's probably twice as old as me and she still pretends that she's twenty, walking around showing off that ridiculous cleavage of hers,"

That was it. Sakura's patience snapped, and Naruto immediately braced himself to stop her from doing anything particularly destructive. But before she could stand up and give them a piece of her mind with her fists, Sai was already standing, facing them.

"Excuse me," he enquired politely, yet his tensed jaw was unmistakable. The looked up in surprise, then giggled rather childishly. Sai wasn't bad-looking at all.

His next sentence, however, brought them sharply back to earth. "If it wasn't for that '_old woman with a ridiculous cleavage'_, Konoha would be in shambles by now," Sai dropped all pretense of being polite and spoke through clenched teeth. "Show some damned respect for your Hokage or get out of here, because even the Uchiha has more honour than to bribe people for freedom. He's standing trial, isn't he? And I suppose you haven't noticed that the particular girl you're talking about is sitting right in front of you?"

At this, the two women glanced at Sakura's snarling face, horrified.

"Well, she's – " one of the women started, trying to defend herself.

"She what? Likes the Uchiha? Is that a crime?" Sai asked coldly. "We are shinobi, we have our own code of honour – if the Uchiha is cleared, it'll be because he's not in the wrong, and not because of anything else. So the two of you better watch what you say, because in my book, gossiping old hags like you are the lowest of the low,"

"_**Excuse**_ me?!" one of the women took the term 'gossiping old _hag'_ as an offense, shrieking indignantly while standing up. By now, people were starting to watch the scene, curious. The woman was ridiculously short, Sai towered over her. But still. She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Watch your mouth, you little – "

"_You_ shut your mouth, lady," Sakura whirled around, fury dancing in her eyes. Naruto's cerulean glare accompanied hers.

"If you ladies have nothing better to do than to criticize things you don't understand and gossip, get out," Kakashi suddenly spoke, not turning back. His arms were crossed – and for once, since they had met him, Sakura and Naruto saw their sensei angry. His voice was icy, in a way they had never imagined it could be.

Looking offended and terrified at the same time, both women hurriedly left, muttering angrily.

"Thanks, Sai, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said quietly once they had settled back into their seats.

"Wouldn't want you to demolish the courtroom," the black-haired boy half-smiled back, while Kakashi merely nodded, grinning slightly. Naruto clapped her on the back, smiling.

Sakura caught Tsunade's eye from across the room. Her mentor was smiling, mouthing something.

"_I heard every word,"_

The cherry blossom relaxed for a moment, then tensed again as the jury filled up their places quietly, the judge resuming his seat. He hammered once for silence.

"Results of the jury's discussion,"

Sakura gripped the edge of her seat so tightly her knuckles were white. Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder almost protectively, glancing across at Sasuke. Their gazes held.

"Those in favour of conviction?" the judge asked calmly. Sakura was almost afraid to look up. Praying hard, she forced her eyes to glance upwards, at the jury box.

One… two… three votes. But – that would mean –

She felt the wooden bench crack under her fist. Several people whom were sitting on the same bench jolted as they felt their seats sinking slightly under them.

"Those in favour of release?" the result was obvious, but the judge asked anyway, just to enjoy the effect. Who said that judging was a boring job?

Three-quarters of the jury raised their hands, Asuma's grinning face amongst them. Then, much to Team 7's amazement, most of the people in the courtroom slowly raised their hands as well. Their vote didn't exactly count, but the look on Sasuke's face was _priceless_ – he had his mouth open. Sakura and Naruto glanced at each other with grins, freezing that particular picture into their minds forever. Sasuke was never going to live this down.

"Very well," the judge was smiling. "Uchiha Sasuke is now reinstated as a shinobi of Konoha and you will be eligible to enter the Jounin exams if you pass several tests next week presided over by the Hokage. You are suspended from B-rank missions and above for two years, but you are permitted to rejoin Team 7. Cleared of all charges, court dismissed," the gavel hammered once.

Sakura suddenly felt like hugging the judge.

There was a momentary, stunned silence, before a great cheer rose in the room, with the more energetic members of the Rookie Nine and Team Gai being the loudest contributors of all.

Across the room, Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke glanced at each other. A wave of mutual understanding and relief washed over all three teammates, it showed in their eyes.

Sasuke leapt out of his confining box easily, smirking, while Naruto and Sakura sprinted over, crashing into the Uchiha with a three-way hug, the former grinning like a mad cat, the latter torn between laughing and crying from emotional overload.

"All of them have grown, eh?" Asuma chewed on his cigarette, his hands in his pockets while speaking to Kakashi. Kurenai and Gai joined them, four senseis watching their students congratulating Sasuke – and suddenly feeling very old.

Kakashi gave him a satisfied nod, smirking slightly before turning to leave. "Let's get out of here before Naruto renders me broke once again with another of his _brilliant_ 'ramen party' suggestions… I seriously have no idea where Iruka gets enough money to feed that boy, even occasionally,"

"It's a little too _late_ to run, don't you think, Kakashi?" Kurenai laughed as Naruto's loud voice boomed over the din to them.

"Oh no," the silver-haired Jounin groaned, attempting to dive out of the room.

"**OI**! Don't run away, Kaka-sensei, you're treating us to ramen!"

N

_Poor Kakashi, eh? that was a long chapter to write…_

_So, anyway: _

_(1)__**Futago Ryuu no Kaiten**__: Twin Dragon Spin._

_I hope you guys liked it! By the way, there won't be an update until December because I'm off to my holiday in New Zealand !(don't worry, it's only two weeks.) So I won't be able to reply to reviews for awhile, too, hope you guys won't mind – I really love reading your reviews!_

_And as a personal thought, I think that this story has been improving rapidly as each chapter goes by, my first chapter wasn't that good at all… hehe… _

_Okay. I have to go now. Hope everyone who has read this chapter likes it – and I will miss you guys! _

_Ciao! And review!_

-Rave-chan-


	30. Chapter 29: The Battle Plan

_Chapter 29! What else do I have to say???_

_Oh yesh – this chapter is dedicated to __**narutocraze1233**__ for being the 900__th__ reviewer! And I can't believe I'm in the 900s already! _

_Thanks to everyone out there who reads this, you guys rock!_

N

Chapter 29 – The Battle Plan.

Haku's face remained passive as he sat watching Team 7 and Tenten engrossed in a full-out sparring session, with Kakashi and Neji observing the four shinobis, occasionally giving their opinions regarding techniques and formations.

Somehow, the fair-skinned young man felt out of place. Alone, in an utterly unfamiliar and new surroundings, where everyone else was close knit, where it was so difficult to actually fit _in_, even if people accepted him.

Life in Hidden Mist, as he remembered, had always been lonely. The village, even though it bustled with people, was _empty_. It lacked the warmth that Konoha radiated constantly. He was not accustomed to seeing people smiling at him even though they did not know him – perhaps the Leaf headband, so clearly shown tied around his forehead, was enough assurance for these people that he was part of their family, of their village. He was used to being _included_, or having friends.

And here, no one expected anything of him. Except for him to remember his past.

'Zabuza, huh…?' a quiet thought floated through his mind. He could not remember… who that man was, even after Sakura had tried her best to explain, to tell him. Heck, he didn't even remember this team he was supposed to have almost killed – or remember his 'dying', either. All that remained were vague recollections of Hidden Mist, and recent memories of the old couple whom he had lived with, somewhere… until they both died… and then wandering, without direction nor purpose. He had ended up in this strange village, sleeping in a graveyard, until he was disturbed by a strangely pink-haired girl and that funny-haired guy…

Haku sighed, lifting his face towards the clear blue sky.

Perhaps, someday… he would remember.

N

All four shinobis were drenched in sweat as they sank onto the grass, exhausted. All except for Sasuke, that is, who, despite the visible beads of sweat glinting against his skin, looked impeccably fresh and unperturbed, as always.

Neji tossed their water bottles to them and all four drank greedily, ending up with half the bottle of water going over their heads to sooth the burning heat.

"Ugh, I'm exhausted…" Naruto groaned loudly, sprawling himself flat out on the ground.

"Where did that extensive vocabulary come from, dobe?" Sasuke deadpanned, sitting next to Sakura, as he raised an eyebrow.

"From your girlfriend, teme," Naruto did not miss a beat, grinning while pointing towards Sakura.

Sasuke skidded over and kicked the blonde hard, resulting in a yelp and a very mischievous-looking Naruto jumping up, tipping the contents of an entire bottle of water over the Uchiha's head.

Sakura laughed at the murderous vibes Sasuke radiated, too lazy to break up their fight. Kakashi, used to this sort of scene, simply spared them a glance and went back to reading his book, while Neji and Tenten were talking to each other, probably too busy to even notice what was going on.

The cherry blossom glanced over at Haku, sitting some distance away from them, and suddenly recalled the scene where she'd given Haku his new hitai-ate, with the symbol of the Leaf carved upon the shiny metal plate.

It had been the last day of his confinement in hospital, and Tsunade had requested that Sakura be the one to give him the new headband despite her protests.

"He trusts you, somehow," Tsunade had said, firmly. There was no arguing with her at that point.

"_Sakura-san," Haku asked quietly as he stared at the metal plate, tracing the outline of Konoha's symbol with his fingertip. "Will I ever remember…?"_

"_It depends on you, really," Sakura said with a small smile. "But you have to know that once you put that forehead protector on, you will be a shinobi of Konoha – who's no longer affiliated with Hidden Mist,"_

"_It never made any difference to me, I suppose, whatever village I was affiliated to," Haku said methodically, still fingering the metal plate. "I think… I have this feeling, that back then, all that mattered was that I was with Zabuza… I would do anything, betray any village for him,"_

"_So you do remember, then?" Sakura was startled._

"_No." he looked up. "I only remember having somebody whom I cared for so much, I would never care about anything else. Not even allegiance to villages, loyalty… nothing."_

_Sakura started, but was halted by the smile creeping up his face as he lifted the hitai-ate to his forehead and secured it, speaking quietly._

"_But you guys… are like…" he paused, searching for the correct, unfamiliar words. "A family. And you took me in, as part of that family… so I suppose all that will have to change, ne?"_

_She smiled._

"OI! Sakura-chan!" Naruto sang, waving his arms before the oblivious kunoichi's face. "Wake up wake up! We're going for ramen, my treat!"

"Yes, 'your treat', and one of us will probably end up paying for the twenty bowls you've devoured," Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"Actually, I feel like eating thirty today," Naruto said thoughtfully as he walked ahead.

"I'll pass," Kakashi said hurriedly, standing after hearing Naruto's suggestion. He'd already been rendered pitifully broke by the blonde's last ramen party – and I certainly did not help that the latest in the Icha-Icha series had just been released the day after the party.

"We'll pass, too," Neji stood, Tenten next to him. With a wave, all three walked away, Kakashi calling back to remind them of practice the next day.

Naruto had taken to bugging Haku to go for ramen, while the Uchiha also contemplated escape. He'd been on the receiving end of Naruto's ramen bill quite a few times already.

"Don't worry, if Naruto can't afford it, I'll pay," Sakura laughed, beckoning him to follow Naruto, who was now happily chatting away with Haku next to him, headed towards Ichiraku.

Sasuke smirked and joined her.

"I'll take your word for it, because I'm out of cash."

Sakura rolled her eyes. As if the entire village didn't know how rich the Uchiha household was. She cast him a sidelong glance.

"Liar,"

N

"The dobe sure forgives easily," Sasuke observed as he and Sakura walked some ways behind Naruto and an amused Haku, who was listening to one of the loudmouth's rambles. "I haven't forgotten the time that guy almost killed me."

"Oh, c'mon, it's been so long…" Sakura admonished.

"Funny, I vaguely remember someone crying over my 'corpse' that day…" Sasuke said dryly.

"Shut up," the pink-haired kunoichi tilted her head to a side. "Heard you passed your tests yesterday,"

She was referring to the tests Sasuke had been compelled to take to be reaccepted as a shinobi of Konoha. It had been a closed affair, so no one knew what happened except for Sasuke and the judges. All Sakura knew was the gist of it, the first test being an intelligence test, second a psychological one, and for the third, combat.

"Piece of cake," Sasuke replied nonchalantly. "I think I scared the pants of the examiner for the second psychological test, he was far more nuts than me,"

"Arrogant much?" Sakura shot back.

"They made me fight Tsunade for my last test,"

"Tsunade-_sama_," Sakura corrected indignantly. Sasuke ignored her.

"You're very much like her,"

There was a moment of silence as Sakura stared at him.

"I'll take that as a compliment," her face suddenly broke into a grin.

Sasuke cast her a sidelong glance. "Same temper, same _unfeminine_ strength – "

"You want to repeat that?" Sakura challenged, showing him her clenched fist.

"Can't be bothered," the Uchiha raised an eyebrow. "Thankfully, you have no sake issues, though…"

They arrived at the ramen stall, and slid comfortably into their usual seats.

The cherry blossom had one last retort.

"Sometimes, Uchiha, you talk way too much,"

N

The days passed, quickly. All around Konoha, the atmosphere was tensed, excited, in anticipation of the Jounin Exams.

Yet those who knew the impending danger felt apprehensive. Anything could happen now, any day could bring the worst. Shikamaru and Neji spent most of their days huddled in the Hokage's office with Tsunade and Sakura, devising defense strategies and aiming to strengthen Konoha's walls as well as safehouses for the children. Occasionally Sasuke and Kakashi would be enlisted to contribute their ideas, or else Jiraiya would drop in with some more information on Akatsuki.

"Honestly, Shikamaru, I don't understand why you aren't ANBU Captain yet," Sakura stretched and yawned after several long hours spent sitting and drawing up plans. Shikamaru and Neji, the absolute geniuses had spotted every tiny weak spot Sakura had missed. "It would have taken me a year to plan what we've managed to do in two days,"

"He's got the wrong attitude," Neji, current ANBU Captain, half smirked. "ANBU Captains can't spend their days watching clouds and complaining like Nara does,"

"As _if_ you had the right attitude, Hyuuga – and as if you don't spend all your free time over at my place with Tenten," Sakura scoffed.

A ghost of a smile crossed Neji's lips, and he said nothing more.

"Hey, Saku-chan!" Shizune suddenly appeared in the doorway. Sakura looked up in surprise – Tsunade's black-haired assistant had a really wide smile plastered across her face. Something was up.

"What?" the cherry blossom enquired, curious.

"The Uchiha's here to see you," Shizune laughed. Sakura groaned. This teasing would never end, it had started when Sasuke was watching over her in hospital.

The two boys smirked from behind her. Sakura glared daggers at them before straightening and striding out.

N

"Sasuke, you better have a good reason for this visit, or Neji and Shikamaru, not to mention Shizune, will _never_ get off my case," Sakura said as she met him in the corridor outside the office.

He said nothing, but thrust a paper bag towards her. She vaguely wondered if it would kill him to just say 'hi', but took the bag anyway, pulling it open and looking inside.

"As a repayment for the food you gave me in prison," Sasuke spoke flatly, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall, observing her.

There was an assortment of soft, sugared candy in various shapes and colours inside – Sakura's favourites. With a delighted smile that broke out suddenly on her face, she hugged him, and a very startled Sasuke found that he enjoyed the feeling, somehow. His pale skin flushed.

"Come on, you can help us with the plans," Sakura invited, motioning towards the office. "Neji and Shikamaru are totally killing me with their pure genius,"

Sasuke shook his head, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "I've got some training to catch up on with Kakashi – besides, I have to make sure the dobe doesn't drive Haku to the brink of insanity,"

Sakura laughed. "He hasn't let off yet? Poor Haku…"

"Hinata finds it amusing, actually. I'm surprised."

The kunoichi grinned. "People change, Uchiha. I have to go now, before those two–" she cocked her head to a side, pointing towards the office. "-start getting random thoughts,"

Sasuke shrugged. "I'll see you later at the meeting."

Sakura's face fell, ever so slightly. Sighing, she turned away. When she spoke, her voice was quiet.

"I can't believe… that we're really preparing for war."

N

"So?" Sakura was met by a question the moment she stepped back into the office, courtesy to a bored- looking Hyuuga prodigy.

It was really evident that neither shinobi had been doing any work while she was gone. Sakura plopped back into her seat with an exasperated glare at both boys.

"The Uchiha proposed or something?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. Neji had to cough, to cover up what sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

The cherry blossom sighed. "I swear, you guys are way worse than Ino when it comes to my love affairs,"

"Well, at least you admit that it's a love affair," Neji deadpanned. "The Uchiha will never admit that,"

"I thought you guys weren't interested in this kind of stuff?" Sakura crossed her arms, thoroughly annoyed.

"Honestly, Sakura, it's hard not to be interested when the Uchiha is involved," Shikamaru smiled lazily. "Unless there is something you don't want us to know?"

"You see this, Nara?" Sakura's fist balled up in front of Shikamaru's face. The pineapple head hastily drew back, alarmed.

Satisfied, Sakura tossed the bag of candy onto the table.

"Now shut up, eat and get back to work – or I'll get the girls to drag both of you out shopping tomorrow,"

N

The huge hall located on the ground floor of the Hokage Tower began filling up with people as six o'clock approached. Everyone of merit – clan heads, ANBU members, Jounins – was there.

"It's strange to think that all these people have actually come to listen to a war strategy concocted by a bunch of teenagers," Tenten was laughing as she helped them prepare their presentation.

"You don't have to be old to be smart," Neji raised an eyebrow.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Yeah, says the top rookie of our year, who always acts like he's eighty when he's eighteen… lighten up, Neji!"

That comment earned her a hard smack on the shoulder.

"Anyway, their lives depend on our plan now, so what choice do they have?" Shikamaru slouched over, hands in pockets. "Do I _have_ to do the presentation?"

"Yes, now stand straight, get out there and show 'em – and you better not embarrass me, Shika!" Ino hissed, shoving him out to face the crowd.

"Damn. Shouldn't have left my options open," Shikamaru muttered under his breath. "This is troublesome…" Looking up with a deadened expression on his face, the Jounin raised his voice to speak. "Let's just skip introductions and get straight down to the strategy," he deadpanned.

In the crowd, Asuma chuckled and Kurenai sweatdropped.

"He looks like he's already been through a hundred years of war… how on earth did you bring that boy up, Asuma?"

"Hey, I didn't do anything, that's just _him_," her partner protested.

"Konoha's walls are currently being strengthened with layered defenses. Curved walls hide our side entrances, to camouflage them and enable food and backup transport. Several inner walls have already been built to serve as decoys – our entrance is currently masked to resemble a dead end, while the obvious paths lead to underground tunnels where enemies can be ambushed, and if necessary, blocked out." Shikamaru indicated to the specific locations on the mapped plan behind him.

"We need to increase our food supplies drastically – those who are in charge…?"

Several well-known merchants raised their hands in acknowledgement. Shikamaru nodded. "Bring in as much food as you can, dry provisons and live stock at the lowest prices possible. You know the budget. Set aside at least three quarters of that foodstock in our storehouses, and the rest can be used on daily basis. Take the Jounin Exams and the celebration afterwards as an excuse for the larger requirement of food. The villagers will be requested to have at least a patch of garden for growing food," the Nara genius explained, serious once he got right down to it.

"Do we really need to do all that?" a complaining voice rose, from somewhere in the crowd. Shikamaru looked down, at the floor, his fists clenching in his pockets. He hated people questioning his strategies unnecessarily.

"Will you be complaining when the war is long and your family goes hungry?" Shikamaru questioned without looking up. The voice fell silent.

"Kotetsu will be in charge of supplies. Those involved, please report to him," the pineapple head continued. The aforementioned Jounin saluted, acknowledging his job. "Iruka-sensei is in charge of the evacuation of children and the elderly to the safehouses,"

Iruka nodded, looking somewhat grim. He took that job seriously.

"Next – attacks. Kakashi-sensei will head this division, with me and Neji. Several teams will be placed at the watchtowers around Konoha's second layer of walls. Each team will have a Byakugan user with them. Hiashi-sama – " Shikamaru looked towards the Hyuuga clan head for confirmation and received a curt nod in reply. "-alright, then. Our defense formation works this way: Konoha has been separated into five semi-circle layers, since we are already solidly blocked by the Hokage Monument cliffs. For the Jounin Exams, only the first, outermost section will be open to foreign shinobis – that is where every single exam will take place, including the exam in the Forest of Death – and where participants will stay, so that no one will be able to penetrate our systems. The second layer will host our watchtowers, and minimal houses. The third, fourth and fifth sections will have a chakra dome protection cast over them,"

Shikamaru drew a breath, then continued. "Medic nins will be situated just beyond the second section to heal the injured – Shizune is in charge of that division. All those who have healing skills and wish to help, please report to her. As for backup, Jiraiya-sama will lead teams of three to designated areas outside Konoha to serve as lookouts and provide another vantage point for attack. Traps will also be set surrounding the village, and above the cliffs – to be dealt with by Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei,"

"Each division is required to submit a list of their members, and if required, their plans, attack patterns and formations to me – by word of mouth, tomorrow. Any further changes will be informed to all of you. All clear?" the lazy genius questioned, hands in his pockets.

"Yes," came the quiet, echoed word, as people started shuffling out. Shikamaru slouched back to his friends, the overall mood was starting to swing into a depressive atmosphere. Without a word, he headed towards the stairs leading up to Tsunade's office, where there was more work to be done.

His heart was somehow, heavy.

"C'mon. Let's get on with our own attack patterns,"

N

Sakura spun, twirled and dodged, alone on one of the training grounds, as if she was fighting an imaginary opponent. This stimulation exercise had been suggested by Neji, to recreate the feeling of mass fighting.

Not as if it would do her any good.

Beads of sweat trickled down her furrowed brow as she launched another spinning roundhouse kick before landing and throwing her fist towards the ground, cracking and smashing the solid rock into countless pieces, shards that crumbled and soared through the air, raining down heavily.

Somehow, that vented her frustrations a little. She could hardly stand the pressing dread of impending doom, where everything familiar was gradually changing. Where nothing felt safe anymore.

There used to be kids running around all the time, playing on the streets. Or giving her plates of food that their mothers had cooked especially for her, her favourites. Just smiling, because there was something to be happy about.

But now – mothers hurried pulled their children indoors, barring them from playing outside – people hurried about their businesses, hurried past without a word of greeting, hurrying to get back into their homes – as if those four walls could protect them.

As if.

"_**ARGH**_!" Sakura's gloved fist smashed forcefully into another boulder, reducing it to mere dust. Her eyes stung as a sudden breeze whipped the dust particles past her face, and two trickles of tears drew a path down her smudged cheeks. She was so close to crying, but she couldn't.

Her knuckles bled, but she didn't bother with healing. The pain, perhaps, would help her accept the pain to come.

"It doesn't help, you know," a dry, familiar voice rang out. "Pain… doesn't help you comprehend,"

Sakura didn't turn, still staring at her bleeding knuckles, almost _willing_ them to hurt. "You know, as well as I do, that this war is happening because of the Bijuu sealed within me and Naruto, Sai."

A low chuckle escaped the ANBU Root member. "Does everything always have to be your fault? You're acting like you're the bloody victim of every single angst drama there is around the place," the dark-haired boy asked, stepping easily across the cracked ground.

He silenced Sakura as she began to protest. "I'm just giving an honest opinion, hag. Stop wallowing in self-pity… the girl I met is way above that. Would youo blame Naruto for the war, had you not become a jinchuuriki?"

Hesitantly, Sakura shook her head. She was indignant about being termed as 'acting the victim of angst dramas', but she could see his point.

"But – war… I don't want to see people dying – especially not for _me_," she said softly, recalling Shikamaru's order.

"_You and Naruto will stay in the safehouses in the event of war. No arguments. If Akatsuki gets hold of both of you, all is lost."_

Stay back – stay protected – while others fought for her?

"We fight for everything that is precious to us," Sai quoted quietly, standing next to her. "Remember? Hinata told me what you said to her. What makes you think that any of us will let you or Naruto be captured by Akatsuki? Especially Sasuke – Tenten – and Naruto himself?"

Sakura was silent, watching the blood dry in cracked patches.

Sai touched her shoulder. "You're a friend worth fighting fore, you and Naruto. Everyone knows that. Stop blaming yourself for nothing, because life goes on anyway,"

The kunoichi finally relented, allowing her chakra to heal the wound slowly.

Sai smirked. "Good. Smile, and you better get going, your team is looking for you. The Jounin Exams briefing is in half an hour."

"Thanks," Sakura smiled, rather tiredly, turning to leave. "And Sai…"

"Huh?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but… you're really not that bad at socializing at all,"

Sai merely grinned. "Don't tell the Uchiha you've been with me, I'm not looking for a death sentence yet,"

N

The briefing hall was deadly silent. Shinobis from the various hidden villages clumped together in groups with their own village's teams and their accompanying Jounins. The tension was thick in the air as rival teams glared at each other, sizing others up, trying to determine who would rule this exam.

Sakura fingered the bandages wrapped around her right hand knuckles. Her long training meant that she was low on chakra and incapable of much healing at that moment, so she was lucky that her teammates hadn't asked any awkward questions yet. She could feel the crushing pressure of the tension around her,and looked around as casually as she could feign, observing every detail about the teams they would be facing.

''_Exam' hardly seems like the right term for this event,'_ Sakura thought dryly. _'It feels more like a gathering in which the sole purpose is to eliminate anyone who gets in your way,'._

Already Naruto was involved in a stare-down with several shinobis from Hidden Sound, standing across the room, his intense cerulean glare fixed upon the three-man cell. Sakura put a hand on his shoulder, and shook her head slightly. This was not the time to pick a fight. Yet as she turned away, her fists clenched tight, wanting to punch their faces in.

But why the hell were they here?

"Why are Hidden Sound shinobis here, considering their current relations with Konoha?" the cherry blossom turned to ask her sensei in a rather strained whisper.

The Copy-nin was also studying that particular group out of the corner of his eye, his orange book miraculously out of sight, while leaning against the wall next to Sasuke, his hands in his pockets. The avenger himself did not spare them a glance, determinedly looking in the other direction.

"We can't turn them away," Kakashi answered after a long while. "The Hidden Sound is, in a way, acknowledged by all the shinobi countries, and at least three objections are required to ban a village from entering the exams, but so far, only Konoha and Suna have ever spoken against Otogakure,"

"Don't they ever worry that one day, that village might become a threat to them, too?" Sakura asked distastefully.

"That's life, Sakura…" Kakashi glanced at her, looking slightly amused at her complaint. "If Otogakure eliminates us, other villages will have more missions, and they will thrive. No one really cares about anyone else, as long as their fort is safe, they think that they have nothing to worry about,"

"That's a lie. An illusion," Sakura spat. "And so money means more than humanity? What about when the Sound turns to attack them?"

"You can't blame them entirely. Nothing in life is fair, you know that yourself," Sasuke suddenly spoke, glancing at her quickly. "You're naïve, in that way. Humans fight for themselves, to ensure their own survival,"

"We don't!" Sakura shot back indignantly.

"Why do you think I came back?" Sasuke asked suddenly, interrupting her.

Silence.

"I thought the rule was 'four-man teams'? Otogakure's group only has three members," Tenten joined the conversation, changing the topic while glancing over her shoulder at the Sound team.

"They're allowed, if their numbers are insufficient and they're confident enough," Kakashi told her. "Max, and recommended in a team is four, minimum three,"

"They're that confident?" the weapons mistress said skeptically. "I mean, most of the teams here are tough by the looks of it – four man teams too, that makes it downright dangerous to assume you're above them,"

"It doesn't matter to them, their target is me. Again," Sasuke said almost casually, staring at the ceiling. Several kunoichi from other teams were eying him already, and Sasuke didn't like it. "Winning isn't their priority, just like in the last Chunin Exams…" he trailed off, before adding a sudden sentence. "I used to work with them,"

Naruto let out a low whistle. "That Oro-bastard is really hell bent on getting you, isn't he?"

"Forget Orochimaru, who are they?" Tenten asked the Uchiha, gesturing slightly. The whole team leaned in to listen, interested.

Sasuke sighed. "Otogakure's best – which, basically means that they're Orochimaru's best experiment results," Sasuke said simply. Sakura looked torn between amused and disgusted. He continued. "The girl is Karin, she's a powerful chakra sensor and used to guard one of Orochimaru's experiment bases. Suigetsu, the shorter guy, was once Zabuza's junior, training to be one of the Mist's Seven Swordsmen… he's holding Zabuza's _zanbato_ (1) now, took it from his grave. And the huge guy is Juugo,"

"Go on," Sakura prompted when he paused. "What about Juugo?"

"He's harmless, actually. He hates hurting people, but he can get into crazed rampages and kill everyone in sight – deciding on which gender he wants to kill first. I used to be able to control him with my Sharingan, to a certain extent," Sasuke said quietly. "And – he is also the source of the curse seal,"

The five shinobis were silent for awhile.

"Well, be careful, all of you," Kakashi said simply, before casting Sasuke a sidelong glance. "Sasuke, be sure of your standing. It was enough work trying to get you back once,"

Sakura noticed the girl from Oto's team, Karin, catching Sasuke's eye and smiling rather sloppily. The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes and turned away, fighting the urge to laugh. She caught Sasuke smirking at her, completely ignoring Karin's rather obvious attempt at flirting. Sakura raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're just set on getting your fangirls to kill me, aren't you? Anyway, it seems that someone over there fancies you quite a bit," she commented dryly.

"You're not worried?" Sasuke smirked.

Sakura shrugged. "Nope. Judging by your reaction, you're not interested, and anyway, your love life is _not_ my problem,"

"I'm hurt," Sasuke said lazily, not even bothering to sound offended.

She cast him a sidelong glance. "Not every girl goes gaga over your mop of chicken-ass hair, Uchiha, get over it,"

Kakashi laughed and tried to cover up with a cough, but failed, and earned himself a death glare from Sasuke.

On the whole, Sakura felt considerably cheered up by the time Anko walked in for their briefing, while constantly bantering about how far Karin would go to get Sasuke with Naruto and Tenten – just to annoy the Uchiha. Karin's dirty looks shot at her from across the room only served to amuse her more, which, in turn, infuriated the Sound kunoichi.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke's barely evident, pained expression and laughed.

Oh yes, this exam was going to be fun.

N

The atmosphere once again tensed as Anko stepped to the front of the hall and began to speak. Even in that uncomfortable situation, the Jounin continued smiling slyly.

"Lots of tension in the air… and bloodlust," Anko grinned. Sakura could've sworn that the Jounin was enjoying this tension as she added rather happily: "I like that,"

"Weirdo, that woman…" Naruto muttered under his breath. "She hasn't changed at all…"

"Well. Haven't you all grown since the last Chunin Exams," Anko didn't bother with staying at the front of the hall, she stepped into the crowd, examining the participants as Tsunade had instructed. The shinobis parted to let her pass, some leering, some mocking her. Anko took little notice, her voice rose to fill the silent hall as she walked.

"All of you _should_ have grown up, in these five years," Anko spoke clearly, glancing at Naruto. Somehow, her expression was unreadable. "Because the Chunin Exam was nothing but child's play. Now – " the Jounin paused, turning back as she reached the end of the hall.

"The Jounin Exam is on a whole different level. You will no longer be protected from those who aim to kill you by exam proctors, because that is how the real world works. You're on your own, and you have only your teammates and yourself to rely on. No one else will help you. The key is _not_ to kill, but to use those bloody brains of yours and survive, if you have any at all. That's the key in this exam. Survive," Anko closed her eyes, halting.

Sakura glanced at Kakashi. Wasn't this the topic they had just discussed?

Several gasps could be heard as Anko suddenly stepped neatly to one side, her hand reaching out in a blur. She caught the kunai that had been meant to strike her neck with ease, flipping it over in her hand and throwing it back where it came from without so much as a backward glance.

It caught a lock of hair of the male Grass nin who had thrown it before embedding itself deeply into the wall. Only the handle remained visible, sticking out.

Tenten stiffened. That sort of accuracy… Anko…?

"That – " the woman turned around sharply, her demeanor completely calm even though anger flashed in her eyes. "-was not very nice," Her eyes bore into his, and the brown-haired ninja visibly shrank.

From that moment on, no one mocked her.

"Let's get back to serious business," Anko continued her pacing through the room. "General rules: the exam will be held in the outermost section of Konoha and it stays there. No one is to wander anywhere else without authorization and those who fail to obey this rule will not be dealt with lightly."

Dead silence. She continued

"Two. No attacks, ambushes or killing outside exam periods. Exam proctors will constantly be on the watch, so don't try to cause trouble or you'll be disqualified and not allowed to continue your stay in this village,"

"Yeah, yeah," came a bored voice from the crowd. "Enough about the boring village, get on with the _exam_ rules already,"

"Don't be so impatient," Anko sighed. "Right. On to the exams – this may come as a surprise, but there are no rules. Absolutely none, other than you follow what you're told to do for whatever test you're doing,"

"No rules?" Sakura whispered to her teammates.

"That's Anko for you… her plans are always on the… _extreme_ side," Kakashi said simply, shrugging as Sakura stared at him.

"You cheat, go ahead. If you're caught – well, that's just too bad, isn't it? Let's say one of your team members get's kidnapped and is held hostage by another team, your enemy – then it's up to you to get them back. We can't help you because that is your fight and you have to face it alone. Only in observed, one-on-one battles will the proctors step in if the fight has gone too far,"

There was a jumble of expressions across the hall. Anko went on. "We want you to prove how well your team or individual can complete a give task with the least bloodshed and injury. A Jounin's capabilities are not measured by how many they can kill, but how efficiently they can handle their mission and react in emergency situations – preferably without killing unless absolutely necessary. Bloodshed is always optional. You have to learn to survive through your skills and stealth, not brute force,"

Everyone remained quiet.

"Okay, that's about it. Hand in your registration forms before you leave. And one more thing – Anko suddenly stopped them, they had already begun moving. "Choose whom to trust as a source of information wisely. You may leave now,"

"That's so irrelevant," Sakura overheard the members of another team speaking to each other, and rolled her eyes. Those people really didn't know what Anko had in store for them, if they really thought that way…

"Well, I'll see you all two days from now, at the third training ground at twelve noon sharp!" Anko waved, and disappeared. Slowly, the shinobis gathered in the room trudged forward to hand in their signed registration slips to the clerks collecting them before shuffling out.

Neji caught hold of Tenten and motioned for her to follow him. With a nod to Sakura, the kunoichi went with him. The cherry blossom noticed Karin, fighting through the crowd to get near Sasuke while the Uchiha was edging discreetly away. She tried not to laugh, and walked right until she was between Naruto and Sasuke, slinging her arms across their shoulders while ignoring Karin's eyes boring holes into her back.

"So, boys, ready to show them what we've got?" she grinned. Both glanced at her with their own signature smirk and grin.

"You bet,"

N

_Haha… sorry, guys, but I suppose it's quite evident that I don't like Karin…_

_And I changed certain aspects about the Hebi team to suit the story._

_And as for the words:_

_(1)zanbato: it's the huge sword that Zabuza used, you can find more info on it on the internet – or if you've watched the earlier episodes of Ruroni Kenshin, you ought to know Sanosuke's weapon. _

_Okay, gotta go. Mother's already murdering me for staying up late… Ciao!!_

_Review! And thanks for reading!_

_-Rave-chan-_


	31. Chapter 30: Start of the Jounin Exams

_I won't say much… just that I hope this update was fast enough!_

_Read on!_

N

Chapter 30 – Start of the Jounin Exams

Rats scurried past across the filthy prison floor, devouring the untouched meal placed at the cell door flap. That food, too, was half-rotten and surrounded by flies. But at least the stench was bearable.

In one of the dark corners of the small prison cell, a lone figure sat still on the hard bunk bed, feet apart and back straight, head held high. His lined face, half hidden by the shadows and the permanent bandages, showed a man stubbornly clinging on to what little pride he had left.

He had refused to eat, refused to sleep as a note of protest. He was doing what was best for Konoha, and he would follow that path, even if it meant betraying his village to achieve it. He had done it once, twice, and this time they had thrown him in prison.

The sound of keys jangling in the lock filled the silence for a moment. The rusty door swung open, creaking loudly on its complaining hinges with the effort it took.

"Get out," the warden, a man in his late thirties with a visibly unkempt beard demanded gruffly. He didn't like entering this cell, that prisoner radiated vibes that made him uncomfortable. "You've got a visitor."

Danzou's eyes darted to the door and his hopes rose a little, even if he wouldn't show it. Standing slowly, he put his weight on the wooden staff, the only possession he'd been allowed to take into prison apart from the clothes on his back. His joints complained loudly, but he didn't care. There were more important matters to deal with. That visitor – it might be – no, it _had_ to be – Sai.

A small smile twitched his wrinkled lips. Sai. That boy had no name, but the name he'd been given for that last, fateful mission had stuck, for some reason, until even he, Danzou, had started to associate that particular name with the boy.

That boy was the only one who hadn't abandoned him, hadn't left him right on the moment that damned Tsunade had uncovered his operations. What had he taught them about loyalty? They'd forgotten anything. But then, he hadn't exactly followed his own words, had he? He'd betrayed Konoha. Quietly. It was for the good of his village.

Danzou trudged out to the visiting cell slowly, the warden prodding him forward impatiently. He fought the urge to scream at him, beat him with his staff, that insolent young brat. When he got out of this prison, he would show that idiot just who was the boss around here.

"Ah, Sai! How are you, my boy?" Danzou could barely contain his excitement as he saw that it was indeed his subordinate visiting. Taking the seat opposite the black haired boy in the dimly lit room, he glanced across at Sai.

Sai did not return the greeting. He simply looked indifferent, cold – but wasn't that the way this particular boy always looked? Danzou himself had cultivated that façade on him.

There were a few moments of uncertain silence.

"The Hokage knows everything, Danzou, you might as well just confess about your ties to Akatsuki," the ANBU Root member spoke directly to the point.

It took another several moments for the words to sink in.

"What…" Danzou's voice dropped a fraction, unsure of what he had just heard. "What… do you mean?"

"You heard me,"

Danzou's face hardened. Betrayal. "Who was it?"

"The traitor?" Sai asked smoothly, looking him in the eye while raising an eyebrow. "Who else?"

Silence. Then the truth dawned.

"Y-you-" Danzou could barely speak as he raised an accusing finger, trembling with pure fury. His serene expression was gone, his composure crushed in a moment of revelation.

Sai – _Sai_ – he should have seen it all along. That boy had long been brainwashed by the Godaime's little underlings, he should have know when Sai hadn't deserted him when he'd been arrested. Wasn't that human nature, to support the winning side and desert the losers?

That didn't make being betrayed by the last person he'd trusted any more pleasant, though.

"After all these years… you… you…" Danzou was almost incoherent, anger consuming every fibre of his now frail body. If he'd been twenty years younger he would have thrown the boy across the room.

"I left?" Sai added, trying to be helpful. Danzou stood suddenly, his chair toppled with a loud clang. The warden was already hurrying in, but Sai gestured for him to stop.

"I gave you everything! Food clothes, shelter, your name, your life!" the elderly man roared, uncontrolled anger lashing out. Only his frail state of old age prevented him from striding forward and strangling the blank-faced brat he'd brought up, all these years.

He was breathing heavily now, yelling had taken a lot out of him. The man sank back into his seat heavily.

"I gave you your life," Danzou whispered, through ragged breaths, his words halting as if he was unsure of how to pronounce them.

Sai's face remained stoically blank. After a long moment, he stood, pushing his chair back slightly.

"What you're doing is going to hurt my friends," Sai said calmly, turning to leave. "Warden, I'm done here," his next sentence was directed at the warden, who was standing, staring and gaping at the scene.

"So," Danzou spoke to the retreating back, glaring at it with poisonous contempt. His dreams, his aspirations were crushed. "You would rather side with your pathetic little 'friends', instead of the man who gave you a life?"

Silence. The warden unlocked the cell door, opening it for Sai. The shinobi paused, just before exiting. As if on second thought he added a sentence.

"Actually, Danzou," Sai spoke calmly, not looking back.

"You gave me a life, but they taught me how to live,"

N

"Sakura, come here," Tsunade called out form her office, just as her student was about to leave the premises. Curiously, Sakura entered.

"That chest your team brought back," the Godaime started, reaching into a drawer. "The encryption department couldn't decipher the runes, but they found something else, in the faded silk lining,"

Tsunade held out an object which seemed to shimmer, radiating soft rays of light through the Godaime's fingers clasped around it. Sakura took it, hesitantly.

It was a glass vial, perhaps about as big as her hand. A sort of silvery-blue substance, that seemed to be neither gas nor liquid, floated lazily around in the bottle, tiny wisps curling upwards.

"What, exactly, is this…?" Sakura asked in amazement, marveling at the delicateness of the item. She had never seen anything so indescribable in her life. The hues of colour through the clear glass was beautiful, mesmerizing even, but at the same time, radiated a sort of deadliness that warned of impending danger.

"I don't know," Tsunade said heavily, leaning back in her high-backed chair. "I've studied it, but all it seems to be is an extremely dense volume of something like chakra,"

"…_like_ chakra?" Sakura queried, frowning. Was there such a thing?

"Yes. I don't think it is chakra, but it's extremely similar," Tsunade explained. The lid is sealed very strongly. I don't want to open it because it might be dangerous,"

Sakura didn't' speak, she just stared at the vial, letting it draw her in, willing it to tell her its secrets.

The office was silent, until the Godaime leaned forwards suddenly. Her chair creaked. "Sakura – do you feel… _uncomfortable_ holding it?"

The pink-haired kunoichi started at the unusual question, but weighed her answers carefully, judging, studying the glass bottle in her hands. It gave off a pleasant warmth, and apart from the slight deadliness that she had sensed earlier, she felt safe holding it. As if it _belonged_ to her, like a new pet warming up to its mistress.

"No," Sakura finally spoke after a long while, rather surprised at her own answer. "It's just… pleasant."

Tsunade looked at her. Sakura met her gaze.

"Then it belongs to you," her mentor said briskly, shuffling a few papers placed on her desk, breaking eye contact.

"Wha-" Sakura jolted.

"Every single person who held that vial complained that they felt a strange sensation, like overwhelming power and danger," Tsunade said calmly. "When I touched it, I had the same feeling – as if it was trying to repel me because I wasn't the person it sought."

The cherry blossom tried to digest the piece of information.

"The chest was your grandfather's creation, right?" the Hokage asked simply, receiving an uncertain nod in reply. "I knew that man, Sakura… when I was a girl. Haruno Seian was always a creative man. He was plain gifted in making things that often looked like they had no use but proved to be otherwise… and that was why he became Konoha's most renowned weapons-smith. His weapons were discreet and beautifully useful to spring surprises on enemies,"

Sakura smiled slightly. She had only known that her grandfather had owned a weapons shop, she had visited it once or twice but it looked ordinary. The things that her grandfather had showed her were usually not weapons, but items of extraordinary craftsmanship and cunning mechanisms. Tenten would have been ecstatic to meet her grandfather had he been still alive.

"I don't know what's inside that bottle, nor what it is for, but if he intends to give it to you, there must be a reason," Tsunade continued.

Sakura's grip on the vial tightened. This wasn't an ordinary contraption, it felt… otherwordly. What was he trying to tell her? _'Ojiisan…'_

Tsunade seemed to snap up for a moment, rummaging through her drawers again – before triumphantly pulling out a scrap of paper.

"This was tied to the neck of the bottle," the blonde woman thrust the paper at her apprentice, who took it, surprised. The paper was protected with a coat of something transparent and glossy, probably some sort of varnish to keep it from decaying.

Sakura's emerald eyes skimmed over the page swiftly, before widening in absolute shock. She nearly dropped the bottle, it slid right to her fingertips.

"Sakura? What's wrong?" Tsunade asked sharply, noticing the evident change in Sakura's composure.

'It's… the same…' the cherry blossom thought desperately.

She had to be sure. With a quick, barely uttered apology and farewell to her mentor, the pink-haired girl bolted out not heeding Tsunade's calls.

Sakura sprinted through the streets, a barely visible blur of pink and red, nearly crashing into Haku who was with Sasuke and Naruto. Not even bothering with them, she scrambled past the three males, running all the way to her house front door before shoving in open unceremoniously, tumbling in between gasps of breath.

"Hey, Sakura, Naruto asked us – "

Tenten's greeting was cut short as the cherry blossom dashed up the stairs, into her room and slammed the door behind her before diving under her pillow for her diary. She'd read that verse so many times she knew it by heart, but she had to see and compare the two.

The scrap of parchment that her father had pressed into her hand seven years ago, before he died, fell out from between her diary pages.

Her hands trembling, Sakura held the two pieces of paper side by side. Reading them, comparing them. Wondering what the words meant. The papers nearly crumpled in her hands.

Different handwriting, they had probably been copied out by different people. But the words… were chillingly, exactly the same.

' '_A life for a life'_

_As the old saying goes_

_For the little one we love_

_Here our lives be laid_

_Forbidden as this act may be…_

_There will be no regrets._

_For with ever life forsaken,_

_Another one will thrive.'_

"Sakura?" there came a tentative knock on her room door as Tenten's voice sounded uncertainly. "Are you okay?"

The pink-haired kunoichi straightened, trying to speak in a calm voice.

"Yeah. Just – needed the toilet, that's all," came her rather choked reply. That was a lame excuse.

"Well… if you say so…" Tenten spoke uncertainly, from the other side of the door. "Come on, Naruto's inviting us for a good luck party at –"

"Ichiraku Ramen?" Sakura found her sarcasm returning as she carefully folded the two pieces of paper and stashed them, along with the sealed glass vial, into her shuriken pouch.

"Well, yeah." She heard Tenten laugh outside. "Come on, I'm waiting!"

Rearranging her features, Sakura walked towards the door. Clasping the door handle, she paused to compose herself, inhaling deeply. The words remained etched into her mind, a memory that refused to be buried.

'_For with every life forsaken, another one will thrive'._

N

Sasuke had immediately been able to sense that something was wrong the moment Sakura stepped into Ichiraku's. Even if she laughed and smiled, there was a strange aura of unrest about her, fear and uncertainty. Once she was no longer in the centre of attention, her façade would fall off again, and if anyone asked, the cherry blossom simply forced a smile and said that she was tired. Most of the time she just spaced out, deep frown lines creasing her forehead as if she was thinking about something.

Heck, Sasuke would never buy her 'tired' act. There was something wrong with her, and what a certain Hyuuga prodigy had said to him that evening only served to confirm his guesses further.

"_Sakura's acting strange tonight," Neji casually observed while sitting about two seats away from the Uchiha. They were always like that, two quiet, stoic boys, trying to ignore the chaos around them, sitting alone until one of their friends came around to start annoying them. But they seldom talked to each other._

_Sasuke glanced at him, surprised._

_Neji stood to get a drink refill, speaking discreetly as he passed behind Sasuke's seat. _

"_Whatever that's bothering her is in her shuriken pouch, she keeps reaching for it unnecessarily."_

_With a last, significant glance at Sasuke and a smirk, Neji disappeared into the crowd._

So. Her shuriken pouch, huh? As much as he hated to admit it, the Hyuuga was right. Sakura was placing a hand on her pouch too often, her posture tensed. It was abnormal, considering the fact that they were in a relatively danger-free zone.

It was already nine-thirty when everyone decided to disperse and catch a good night's sleep. Tenten joined Team 7 at the door, looking as if she had something important to say.

"Sasuke, Naruto, gather all – I mean _all_ – your gear needed for tomorrow and get to the Haruno residence in half an hour," the brown-haired kunoichi instructed.

"Why? Aren't we meeting up tomorrow morning?" Naruto asked, curious.

"It's the Jounin Exams, I don't think Anko's gonna let us start of easy, do you? Anyway, it's better for us to stick together in one place, in case of a change in timing or something like that," Tenten gestured.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at her friend, and her suspicious stare was replied with a coy smile on the weapons' mistress' part. That girl definitely knew something she wasn't supposed to know.

"Quite a few teams are already going to camp at the third training ground, where we're supposed to be at tomorrow noon – but Sakura's house isn't far from there and we shouldn't have to worry about speed if need be," Tenten continued.

Sakura slung an arm across her friend's shoulders, cuffing Tenten hard in the process.

"You can trust this source of information, guys, Neji's probably gone and told her _everything_ already," the kunoichi cast the weapons mistress a sidelong glance with a smirk.

"Well, he _did_ drop a few hints," Tenten grinned, dodging under Sakura's arm to avoid being cuffed again.

Agreeing to meet up at the Haruno residence after gathering their things, the team split ways. Sasuke lagged behind Naruto, watching the girls disappear into the darkness.

Sakura's shuriken pouch… he would be doing a little investigating later.

N

The night was eerily silent. Through the sheer-curtained living room windows, shafts of moonlight illuminated the dark living room of the Haruno residence, where three figures lay, sleeping on rolls placed on the floor, while the fourth member sat against the wall, keeping watch for alarms that might indicate something unusual.

His mind was almost solely focused on another purpose, though. On Tenten's advice, all of them had fallen asleep wearing their uniforms, with their backpacks stocked full of needed supplies. Of course, their weapon pouches had been removed from their clothing, but Sasuke's problem was that Sakura had hers right next to her face. And according to Kakashi, the girl was an excellent chakra sensor – even when asleep, her body tended to respond to any unusual flow of chakra around her, like when a person was moving.

He also knew the consequences if Sakura caught him. Even if he'd been away for five years, a few weeks with her was enough to know that she hated people prying into her things – but this time, his curiosity was winning over the thought of getting pummeled.

Carefully maintaining a regular flow of chakra in his body, Sasuke crept over, reaching out for the pouch next to Sakura.

Almost there – but just as his fingertips brushed the fabric of the shuriken holster, another hand shot out and grabbed it, quickly drawing it back into a protective embrace.

Sakura had not been asleep at all. She lay on her bedroll, clutching the pouch to her chest. The moonlight illuminated her emerald eyes as she stared up at him, expressionless.

"Stay out of my business, Uchiha,"

Sasuke wasn't about to give up just yet. He sat down on the floor next to her, with the air of a child stubbornly refusing to cave in. "What are you hiding?"

"Don't know what you're talking about," Sakura mumbled, closing her eyes and trying to fall asleep again.

The onyx-eyed boy reached out and clutched the hand holding the pouch tightly. "Spill it, Haruno. Something's bothering you, you can't lie about that,"

"Oh, so now you're the caring teammate, are you?" Sakura glared, hissing impatiently.

"_You're_ the one who told me not to face my problems alone," Sasuke snarled back in a low voice, not keen to wake the others. Having an argument in whispers wasn't as easy as it seemed.

"I never said that there was anything wrong with me!" Sakura lashed out in a fierce whisper.

"I'm not _blind_, Sakura," Sasuke challenged defiantly. "If you insist that there's nothing wrong, show me what's in that shuriken pouch and I'll leave you alone,"

Silence. The stare-down of the year was in progress, a furious kunoichi versus a stubborn Uchiha.

"I'm too tired to argue with you, Sasuke," Sakura spoke quietly, breaking eye contact and snuggling back under her blanket. "Just – leave me alone already… you'll get your answers someday,"

Sasuke watched her silently as she fell asleep, the pouch clutched in her hand. His grip on her arm was slowly relaxing, but she didn't pull away. The Uchiha just sat there, watching and wondering.

When he finally decided to get up and return to his post by the wall, Sasuke realized that he couldn't – Sakura's other hand had somehow slipped into his, and she wasn't letting go.

Deciding against waking the girl up again, Sasuke settled himself comfortably next to her sleeping form, subconsciously feeling the warmth of her hand in his.

He smiled.

Well, there was no one around to see, anyway.

N

"Enjoying yourself, Sasuke?" a laughing voice teased, jolting the raven-haired boy out of the half-asleep state he'd been in. The room was still dark, but Sasuke could tell that it was almost dawn.

Tenten strode over to where he was sitting next to the sleeping girl, smiling. "You've been sitting there for the whole night, haven't you?"

Sasuke nodded hesitantly, scrambling in his mind for a good reason to justify himself. He finally resorted to gesturing towards the partly numb hand Sakura still grasped. "She wouldn't let go,"

Tenten raised an eyebrow, bending to face him with her hands on her hips.

"Let's rephrase that, Uchiha. '_You_ let _her_ hold on' sounds more like it,"

The onyx-eyed boy glared at her, but Tenten only laughed and straightened. "You know, I haven't seen her sleeping so peacefully for a really long time now," she spoke methodically, observing Sakura's serene expression. It was a wonder that the girl hadn't woken up yet, she was usually a light sleeper.

Sasuke was silent, allowing that little piece of information to sink in. She hadn't been sleeping well?

"She isn't telling you something, right?" Tenten queried further. The Uchiha looked startled for a moment. The weapons mistress continued, not expecting a reply.

"Well… don't push her to tell you,"

Sasuke glanced at her. "Even if something is seriously wrong?"

Tenten sighed. "You don't know her well enough yet, Uchiha. Sakura's headstrong and determined to complete things on her own as far as possible, without help. You won't coax anything out of her as long as she doesn't want you to know – but she will tell, someday. In a way, her parents' deaths and your leaving made her this way,"

Sasuke's jaw tensed.

"Just don't worry about her. She'll pull through, like she always does, and that's not a bad thing," Tenten let out a small smile. "You've no idea how much she's changed since you came back. I seldom see her so constantly upbeat, ever since her parents' deaths…"

Tenten turned towards the door. "Think about it, Sasuke… I'll be going to scout for anything unusual – maybe I'll be able to draw up a rough sketch of what the other teams are like. You better let Naruto sleep in, he works best when he's hyperactive anyway,"

"Be careful. The other teams may already be setting up traps to cripple others," Sasuke warned almost automatically, before starting in surprise at what he had just said.

Tenten grinned knowingly. "Looks like Naruto and Sakura did a pretty good job of reshaping your personality too… but hey, don't worry. I am, after all, older than you – and my stealth skills aren't too shabby either. You don't get to be a Hyuuga prodigy's sparring partner by being a clumsy oaf,"

"Are you sure that it isn't just because he likes you?" Sasuke shot back, sarcasm in full force.

"Look who's talking," Tenten said smugly, opening the front door. "Oh yeah, Sasuke… you better get Sakura to wake up and let go of your hand before Naruto wakes up, or he's going to be cooing like a broken steam engine when he sees both of you like that,"

N

"…the Grass teams look pretty aggressive, we better be wary of them. And I spotted the few Sound shinobis walking around, I don't think they've slept at all," Tenten explained in a low voice as Team 7 discussed their findings while walking together after having split up to gather information on the various Chunins talking part in the exam.

It was about eight in the morning. The team decided to head towards the meeting place first and scout for more details on the teams that had chosen to camp there.

"The Oto nins are trained like army personnel, they usually require minimal sleep and can go for long periods awake," Sasuke supplied as an answer to Tenten's statement.

"I saw a few from the Mist village," Sakura reported as she moved. "They look like a quiet bunch, none of them really showed much technique during their short training session. But their sensei was really drilling them, push ups and whatnot. There's only one guy I'm pretty apprehensive of, in the Rain team, the shinobis from Amegakure - he looked like Sasuke used to… cold, calculating. Always aloof from his team members. But then again, the whole Rain team look as if they could freeze the ground they walked on," Sakura narrated, shuddering at the memory. "But this guy I was talking about – his hair was snow-white, even though he was young… and when he glanced at me as I walked past, his eyes were just – unnerving."

"Sounds like someone we'll have to watch out for," Sasuke agreed quietly. Neither of them had discussed what happened yesterday night, Sakura had quickly drawn her hand away when she realized she had been holding his this morning, a slight trace of a blush visible on her cheeks.

Naruto had nothing to report, he had only encountered several Sand Chunins, and the team reached a decision not to disturb any of their shinobis unless absolutely necessary. Sasuke, meanwhile, had information on shinobis from the Rock Village.

"They were careless, practicing high-level techniques in an open space," Sasuke smirked. "I copied quite a few jutsus,"

"Well, I doubt those are their trump cards, no one would be that careless," Tenten reasoned.

"So what are we gonna do now? It's still pretty early, Anko said to gather at twelve," Naruto cut in.

"I have a feeling that our 'exam' has already started," Sakura confided in a low tone as two Jounins she recognized walked past. "I mean, there are way too many Jounins around the place – shouldn't they be preparing the exams? And those two have been observing us for quite awhile…"

"I heard them," Sasuke suddenly sprang forward, hurrying his teammates on. "The exam time has been changed to eight-thirty, they put up a notice an hour ago,"

The team exchanged glances. "Like I said," Sakura straightened, picking up her pace. "The exam's started. Tenten was right, Anko is gonna make this difficult – I bet quite a few people won't have even woken up yet – and will be disqualified."

'So she's testing our response to an emergency," Naruto said, catching up.

"Probably also our ability to gather information," Tenten spoke. "If Sasuke hadn't paid attention to the two Jounins, we would never have known,"

"Well, that suits me just fine," Naruto grinned widely. "I can't wait to get started!"

N

All four shinobis landed silently on a branch just beyond the third training ground, where they were supposed to gather. Keeping well into the shadows, they observed the area through keen, seasoned eyes of well-trained shinobi.

There was no one in sight, not one person had set foot in the clearing below.

"Sakura, anybody around?" Tenten whispered.

"A team of people to our left, around twenty meters, maybe," Sakura said quietly, allowing her senses to heighten, tracing gentle pulses of chakra signatures around them. It had been part of her medic training, this chakra-sensing. Tsunade had commented that it was an invaluable asset on the field. "Another team at the northeast, the rest are more or less randomly scattered around, not too near us,"

"Why isn't anyone down there, then? It's almost time," Naruto started forward, preparing to leap down. Sasuke and Sakura yanked him backwards, grasping one shoulder on each side.

"Watch it, dobe, can't you see the traps?" Sasuke hissed, eyeing the ground below. His Sharingan could barely make out the thin wire-trip lines suspended there. He suspected that there were camouflaged pitfalls on the ground, too, some of the leaves looked freshly turned up.

A leaf drifted past Tenten's face. For a moment, the kunoichi froze, her eyes wide, then she caught it deftly, quickly crumpling it in her fist and smoldering it with her shoe. "Explosive tags attached to leaves… watch out, they're probably the work of the Jounins,"

'_More like someone trying to seriously kill us,'_ the grim thought floated through Sakura's mind as she glimpsed what the others had not, from the corner of her eye – how had he managed to conceal his chakra so well? – a mop of distinguishable white hair, she had a feeling that she knew just who it was.

'_That guy… from Amegakure.'_

None of her teammates had noticed him, at all. Sakura was about to say something when Sasuke's dry voice broke the silence.

"There goes the first idiots,"

A whole bunch of shinobis, probably worried about being late, were crashing through the bushes to get into the training ground. All at once, the place seemed to explode in a frenzy of shrieks and yells as various traps were activated and many of those shinobis were either dangling upside down in nets or sinking in pits of mudwater.

A loud sigh made itself heard as Anko stepped out, seemingly from nowhere, into the middle of the training ground. She probably teleported, Sakura reasoned. The Jounin was grinning slyly, as usual, observing the result of her traps.

"Well, well. What have we got here?" she peered closely at one boy, who was cramped up in a net beneath a particularly large-sized boy, and struggling to breathe. He yelped and tried to edge away, if that was even possible with a dead weight on him. Anko tended to be scary when she stared.

She sighed again. "I did expect better, you know…" Anko crossed her arms. "But still. All of you-" she gestured to those trapped. "-fail."

A disbelieving chorus of yelps sounded all around. "Wha-"

"The smarter ones, watching from up in the trees," the black-haired woman looked up. "Get down here,"

They were apprehensive, but detecting no further threat, those concealed in the trees leapt down, careful to avoid the pitfalls of mud. There was a soft patter of feet as all of them landed.

"Well then." Anko looked around, studying their faces, counting their numbers quickly. There were about fifty of them left, which would account for around ten teams or so. Good. Less people, less work. She smiled. "Congratulations on passing the first test,"

Team 7 glanced at each other. That was it? The first test? It seemed so… _simple_.

"Hey hey, Anko-san!" Naruto called out, frowning. Sasuke and Sakura groaned, knowing full well what was coming. "Why so easy?"

"Says the _idiot_ who nearly fell for those traps," the Uchiha muttered.

"Oh, come on, Naruto… if it was really that easy, would there be so many failing, just the first test?" Anko sashayed over, raising an eyebrow at him. "Anyway, you won't be complaining, Ibiki's got some really good ideas for your second test… hope to see you alive after that, ne?"

Naruto wisely kept his silence this time. Anko looked satisfied, turning to face others. "Now, before I forget – if one of your teammates happen to be one of the idiots caught here, your whole team fail, as well,"

The hyperactive ninja suddenly felt three stares boring holes into him and shivered, grinning sheepishly. Their team had been _that_ close to getting disqualified.

Just to have something else to do, Naruto looked around for their friends. It looked like Haku had agreed to take the exam as well, he was standing not far off with Kiba, Shino and Lee for their four-man team.

"But that's just unfair – you said that the exam would start at twelve, and then you change the time to eight-thirty – when we hurry here, we're told that the firs test is over and that we're told that the first test is over and that we've been disqualified for falling into a trap that wasn't supposed to be there!" A voice protested loudly, indignant.

Anko looked utterly scornful, looking in the direction of the voice. "What are you, five? Since when were traps 'not supposed to be there', doesn't that defy the whole purpose of an ambush?"

Everyone was silent.

"I'd just like to ask why the hell you're taking the Jounin Exam,"

Sakura had the feeling that Anko knew exactly who had said those words as the Jounin continued staring in the same direction.

"Life isn't planned out for you. Grow up!" Anko turned away.

"But you can't just change the times and expect us-"

Anko's voice silenced the shinobi speaking as she interrupted and pointed at Sakura. "You, over there. Tell us what the shinobi rule number five is,"

"'_A shinobi must always be alert to changes and be able to respond quickly, yet proceed with caution_'," Sakura recited confidently, the rule she knew by heart. She could vaguely hear someone muttering "Smartass," but also knew that whoever that was, he was probably being scared witless by a certain Uchiha and the future Hokage's glares by now.

"Exactly. I mentioned, at your briefing, that it is up to you to obtain the accurate information. I expected all of you to be up early and scouting for information on your opponents instead of enjoying your beauty sleep, if you had done that, like any reasonably good shinobi would have, you'd have either seen the notices put up or overheard the Jounin I deployed talking about the change in timing."

No one dared contradict her this time.

"You were not only late," Anko spoke to those trapped. "You failed to observe your surroundings carefully enough. These traps are basic, and I left obvious hints to their presence. Any Chunin ought to have seen through them easily. The fact that you didn't, shows that you lack stealth and alertness, vital skills for shinobis. You're not cut out to be Jounin, so just forget about continuing this exam."

N

"Now, the second exam," Anko announced once the disqualified teams had been forced to leave. "Genma, Ibiki, if you would," she stepped back, motioning towards two males standing at the sidelines. They moved forward, the former chewing on his senbon, as usual, the latter with his ever-stern face.

"Alright," Genma spoke up, his voice level. "The exam will take place in the Forest of Death, as you know. Those whose names are read out, please step forward and follow Morino-san," he pulled out a scroll from his pocket, unraveling it smoothly.

Sakura glanced at her teammates. So they would be separated? She listened intently as Genma read on, the funny churning feeling of anticipation in the pit of her stomach kept telling her that her name was on the list.

"Haruno Sakura," Genma looked up, gesturing for her to move towards the group gathered around Ibiki. She nodded.

Tenten touched Sakura's shoulder, concerned.

"I'll be fine," the cherry blossom smiled at her, leaning forwards with a hug, before turning to hug Naruto as well.

"Be careful, Sakura-chan…" Naruto's brow was furrowed as she broke away.

She looked at Sasuke awkwardly, not knowing whether or not it would be appropriate to give him a hug as well. He didn't say anything, he couldn't find something to say, and in the end, she decided that perhaps it would be better not to hug him.

"Well… I'm going… so whatever mad plan they have in mind for us… good luck, guys," Sakura put on her best cheery face, but she wasn't fooling anyone.

'_Especially not Sasuke,'_ a quiet thought ran through her mind as all the names were called, and she followed Morino Ibiki's group away from the training grounds, through one of the gates leading into the Forest of Death.

N

"For this exam," Genma spoke once Ibiki was out of sight into the forest. "We will be testing your mission completion skills. Your teammates, who have already been taken into the forest, will be given a vital piece of information that will help you locate certain items, as well as details that you will need, to retrieve those items for the completion of the mission,"

Silence.

"Your teammates – have been taken in as 'hostages'. They will be closely guarded by Jounins at different bases and their bases will be changed every two hours. So it is up to your team here to find and rescue your teammate by locating the base he or she is in and defeating the Jounins guarding them. When I say 'defeat', I mean defeat, not maul and kill. Our Jounins will step down if you have put up a good fight, and you are _not_ to hunt down other hostages, just find your own teammate,"

"And, how, exactly, should we find them in that bloody vast forest? Scour the entire place?" someone asked rather rudely.

"Well, if you plan to be that stupid, go ahead," Genma said coldly. "The hostages will be told to give out a kind of signal that you ought to recognize when they are at their base. You were search for them based on that signal alone, and until you rescue the hostages, nothing else can be done. Once you have retrieved your teammate, further instructions will be revealed. Your destination after completing your mission is the tower in the center of the forest. All clear?"

A murmur went around. Genma took that as a 'yes' and assigned them to their gates.

"Why am I suddenly having a _really_ bad feeling about this?" Tenten asked Naruto and Sasuke as they approached Gate 10, padlocked with chains. Their accompanying Jounin was jangling the keys.

"I hope Sakura-chan's okay…" Naruto mused, saluting towards Kiba's team who was at the next gate, wishing them luck.

"We better find her fast," Sasuke said suddenly. "That guy she was talking about before – the white haired one over there," Naruto and Tenten glanced over at the shinobi in question. His team was at the next gate to their left. Sasuke continued. "I think he's targeting Sakura, for some reason,"

"You think it's because of the Nanabi and the scrolls?" Naruto questioned quietly.

Before any of them could reply, Genma's voice boomed over to them, filling the vast expanse of forest ground.

"You have four days. Begin!"

N

_There! The second test. Hope you guys liked it… _

_A lot of stuff happened in this chapter, and every bit of it is important, so hopefully everyone will take notice… what do you think is inside that glass vial??? And what about that note that goes with it?? Let's see who can guess. It's quite obvious, actually, but the poem wasn't that good._

_More SasuSaku fluff this chapter! dances not exactly my style, but we can indulge in a little fantasy for awhile. After all, the next test will be hard…_

"_**You gave me a life, but they taught me how to live,"**__ – this was my favourite line for the whole chapter. Who would've thought that Sai could do that??? Hehe…_

_Anyway, before I stop, I'd just like anyone who reviews to try and answer this question: __**Throughout this whole story, since you first started reading the prologue until this chapter, what do you think has improved in my writing, or the plot, so on and so forth??**_

_I'd like to hear what you guys think, but it's okay if you don't want to answer it._

_And one more thing – the next update won't be for awhile because I have not yet finished writing it in my book, so please be patient!_

_In case I don't finish it by Christmas, here's to wishing every single one of my wonderful readers a Merry Christmas!_

_-Rave-chan-_


	32. Chapter 31: The Second Test

_Hey!!! Sorry for the late update! This was a bloody long chapter to type… and I've just only finished writing it in the book! Phew…_

_The second exam… I think it will be quite interesting. I've tried to make it different from others, different from just straightforward displays of strength. This exam is meant to test how well they think and cooperate as a team, how well they learn that things are not always as they seem to be._

_Well… oh, and this story is up to 993 reviews now! I'm really, really happy that my aim of 1k reviews before I finish this story is so near! thanks to everyone, whether or not you've reviewed, simply for reading this story!_

_Enjoy!_

N

Chapter 31- The Second Test.

三十一 – 第二个测验

"You will follow your assigned Jounin to your bases. Don't try to escape on the way because you will only be given the information your team needs at the base," Morino Ibiki looked around sternly as he conveyed their instructions. "If you do so, and manage to meet your team without the required information, you will not be able to glean details from other teams because every team has a specific set of instructions. We will know if you did no acquire what you were supposed to find,"

Sakura listened carefully, making note of every point. Her brow furrowed in concentration, as it always did when Tsunade gave her instructions – it had become a habit.

'_So they expect us to try and escape… after having been given the information needed, at the bases – which will make it difficult since close watch will be kept on us then…'_ Sakura mused, calculating possibilities.

She could feel the stare of a blonde-haired kunoichi boring through her back from some distance away. Sakura had noticed that when they had been led into the forest, that girl was keeping an unnaturally close watch on her, even though she had not displayed any sign of potential strengths to warrant herself enemies so early in the exam. However… that girl was from the Rain Village. The same team as that white-haired man Sakura had seen earlier. The girl's features were distinct, beautiful, even. Eerily golden eyes matched her hair, a straight nose adorned her high cheekboned, fair-skinned face. Her looks accentuated her perfect hourglass figure, flaunted in a short, tight black spaghetti-strapped dress with shorts underneath. Her golden hair was left untied, cascading down her back. An image of a goddess.

A perfect partner, in a way, for that similarly handsome white-haired man. Sakura wryly doubted that this particular kunoichi ever had to fight, her looks alone would have guaranteed helplessly enchanted men obeying her every command.

Little did she know how close her guess was, to the truth.

Their eyes were the same. Maybe not in colour, silver matched with gold, but they were cold, glassy. As if they belonged to the dead. Both looked practically too flawless to be human, even.

Sakura shuddered involuntarily. They seemed to be targeting her team, but why?

"You are required to retrieve certain items using the information you will be given at the base. _After_ obtaining those items, you can attack other teams for their treasures to get bonus points and fail their exam. Your team is given four days to complete this mission by reaching the tower in the center of the forest with all items and teammates intact," Ibiki's voice rang out clearly, sharply. No one dared interrupt or contradict; Ibiki had a certain air that instantly made people wary of him, unlike Anko.

Sakura observed the rest of the 'hostages'. The girl Sasuke had mentioned, from the Sound, Karin, was here. Also glaring at her. The cherry blossom sighed, wondering why she had suddenly become everyone's target to kill.

Shino had been chosen from the Leaf's other team. Sakura cast him a slight smile to wish him luck, but couldn't see his expression due to the high collar of his uniform.

"Once you reach base, you will be allowed to give out a signal to indicate your location, but don't be an idiot and yell your head off because you will be bound and gagged," Ibiki held up ropes and duct tape to illustrate his meaning. "Jounins," he indicated to the group of shinobi gathered behind the hostages in the clearing. "Take up your posts,"

In a flurry of movement, each 'hostage' found himself or herself flanked by two Konoha Jounins. Sakura was secretly pleased to find Kotetsu and Izumo next to her – having people she knew around her made things seem slightly better.

"Ah… the Godaime's apprentice," Kotetsu grinned, speaking discreetly. "We'll have to careful, or we'll find ourselves flying to the other end of the world, eh, Izumo?"

Sakura covered up her laugh with a cough as Izumo took his cue.

"Shame she's grown so much… though that revelation of our genjutsu during your first Chunin Exam wasn't all that bad…"

The pink-haired kunoichi smiled at the memory. Izumo and Kotetsu had cast a genjutsu over the second floor and tricked plenty of Genins into believing that it was the third floor, where they were supposed to be. And Sasuke had poked right through it.

"Move out!" Ibiki's command interrupted the thought. She quickly followed Kotetsu towards the trees, Izumo guarding her from behind.

"Well, don't expect us to show any mercy, Haruno," Izumo was now speaking in a business-like tone. "Even if you _are_ the Hokage's apprentice,"

Sakura rolled her eyes, recalling Tsunade's harsh training tactics before speaking.

"Do you think Tsunade-sama has ever cut me any slack?"

Izumo pretended to frown as Kotetsu laughed.

"Well… I haven't exactly seen her training you yet, but knowing her…. fair enough, you win,"

Sakura couldn't help but grin.

N

As the trio moved deeper and deeper into the forbidding forest, however, Sakura's mood became somber once again, old fears of the Amegakure team as well as the contents of the glass vial in her pouch resurfacing, dominating her emotions.

What, exactly, did those two shinobi from the Rain Village want with her, until they could attempt to kill her whole team with an explosive note?

"We're here," Kotetsu suddenly leapt upwards, propelling himself into a cleverly hidden treehouse sandwiched between the boughs of a tall tree. "Get in, hostage,"

Sighing, Sakura realized no one was going to help her get in even if her hands had been bound. She nimbly channeled chakra into her feet and ran up the tree trunk, using her upper body as a weight to counter gravity by throwing herself forwards and rolling into the treehouse. It was a painful stunt, but it didn't look like she had much choice about that.

"Nice trick," Izumo observed, impressed, as he followed her into the treehouse.

"Lay off on the praise, Izumo… she's supposed to be our hostage, not your best friend," Kotetsu sighed, rummaging through a box that seemed to be the sole piece of furniture in the room. After several moments, he held a long scroll aloft triumphantly, turning to Sakura. "Now, before we gag you, instructions,"

The cherry blossom nodded, prepared to listen.

"Well, your teammates' first objective would be to rescue you from us, so here's your second objective. I'm going to give you a key and a basic map that will lead you to find two scrolls, and then a box that requires two keys to open."

"Two keys…? I have only one… oh," the truth dawned on Sakura. "So we'll have to attack someone else to get the other,"

Izumo nodded, picking up where Kotetsu had left off. "But the one rule for this test is that you are not to open the boxes until you're told to, same as the first Chunin Exam before,"

"And again, these are _your_ instructions. Other teams will have different sets even if you will have to compete with them for certain items… still, you don't have to bother with stealing other treasures if you don't have your own," Kotetsu added as a warning as he put the map and the key into her pack.

Sakura's mind was already elsewhere. Her team had not decided on a signal, so how was she going to contact them? She could very well try her signature cherry blossom genjutsu, but without a designated target and with her being the only one with the name 'Sakura' in the entire exam, it would be entirely too conspicuous. Perhaps that wasn't worth the risk, especially not with the Rain and Sound teams around. She would just have to wait until their second base-change and attempt a genjutsu to trap her exam proctors and escape, if her team had not found her by then.

Izumo was already approaching her, a long piece of black fabric in hand ready to gag her with. "Ibiki-san _did_ say to use duct tape, but I suppose cloth is kinder of the face, huh?" he grinned mischievously.

The pink-haired kunoichi rolled her eyes, before suddenly remembering something urgent. "Wait." She spoke sharply. "Before that gag goes on I need you guys to do me a favour after my team has rescued me,"

"As long as it doesn't involve helping you cheat, we're all ears," Kotetsu agreed.

"No, it's got nothing much to do with this exam," Sakura shook her head. "Just go straightaway to Tsunade-sama and tell her to keep an eye on the teams from Amegakure – especially the white-haired man and the blonde kunoichi on his team,"

"These two?" Kotetsu drew a small book out of his pocket, flipping through it until he found the page he wanted, and showed it to Sakura. Two photos of the two shinobi Sakura had mentioned, as well as some basic information, stared up at her from the page.

"Kouru Shiroi," Sakura muttered, memorizing the name. "Ice-white, huh? Suitable name… and the girl – " Sakura's voice choked when she read the letters printed under the photo. Kin Tsume. Tsume was her mother's name, and anything connected to it still hurt Sakura. She knew that she wouldn't have the heart to touch the girl now

"Well, what about them?" Izumo asked curiously, snapping her out of her reverie. "Why d'you need Tsunade-sama herself to keep an eye on them?"

"I think they're tracking and targeting me… or the scr – or something that I have," Sakura corrected herself quickly before she finished the word 'scrolls', remembering that their mission and the retrieved contents were classified.

"Is it just exam jitters? I assure you, everyone will be trying to scare you witless during this exam," Izumo was still skeptical.

"Not to the extent of trying to blast my team into oblivion with an explosive tag," Sakura said wryly. "He tried, that guy, when we were hiding in the trees during Anko's little trick exam,"

"We're in on the scroll business, if that's what you mean," Kotetsu suddenly spoke, glancing outside to ensure that they weren't being eavesdropped on. He pocketed the information book. "You think the Rain team wants either that or you and Naruto, right?"

Sakura nodded hesitantly.

"Consider it done. We'll warn the Godaime," Kotetsu told her calmly, stiding towards the box in the center or the one-roomed, dimly lit tree house.

"What's in there, anyway?" Sakura asked as Izumo was about to gag her. "Don't tell me there was only a map and a key in that huge box,"

"Nope," Kotetsu fished something out happily. Sakura raised an eyebrow as she saw that it was a cup of instant ramen and a flask of what was probably hot water.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," Sakura glanced at him. "Naruto will be able to smell that from a mile away,"

"Exactly," Izumo grinned, tying the gag. "A little cheating never hurts… and besides, we don't intend to sit here waiting for four days waiting for your teammates,"

Sakura sighed inwardly_. 'And that coming from those two who were so adamant about __**not**__ helping me cheat, eh?'_

N

Naruto, Sasuke and Tenten slipped quietly through the forest, senses heightened, alert for any signal that Sakura might have devised to catch their attention.

But after an hour of unsuccessful searching, the trio stopped to cook up a plan. So far they'd found three hideouts, two still occupied but neither hostage was Sakura, one with no sign of a hostage by had two Konoha Jounins, standing outside, still as ice with an expression of shock etched into their faces. Tenten had cautiously approached them and touched the arm of the nearest Jounin, drawing back quickly as cold shock jolted her body.

"They're frozen. Literally," the weapons mistress had reported grimly, grabbing a radio transmitter sticking out from one of their pockets. The other transmitter lay in pieces, shattered on the ground. "If they're not unfrozen soon, they'll die from their low body temperature,"

"Try Katon?" Sasuke suggested.

"You could, but I'm not sure if it'll actually work," Tenten was already tuning the transmitter, speaking to the operator. "Konoha Team 7 here in hideout Three, Forest of Death," Tenten read the crudely painted number on the door of the shack. "We have found two Jounins totally frozen with no sign of the hostage. You need to send a good medic-team here at once. Over,"

The transmitter buzzed for a few moments as Sasuke attempted a fireball to unfreeze the Jounins. A cackly voice spoke from the other end. "Roger. Team on the way. Over,"

"Thank you. We have to commence with our exam now, over and out," Tenten spoke clearly, then turned to Naruto and Sasuke.

"It's working, I think," Sasuke said as he drew a deep breath after the last small fireball. Naruto had gathered some firewood to make a small fire. "They seem to be stirring."

"Still very cold, though. I think Sakura-chan would say that they need medics," Naruto touched one of them after arranging the firewood on the ground, near them. He frowned. "Who could've done this? I doubt it was Haku, his jutsu would have left a clear layer of ice over them. And besides, he wouldn't have left them like this,"

"No, not him," Sasuke confirmed, setting the firewood alight, then placed the Jounins on a sleeping position on the ground next to it with some help from Tenten and Naruto. "This should hold up until the medics get here, we'll have to risk the smoke attracting attention,"

"We should go, our mission," Tenten reminded them, placing the transmitter in one of the Jounins' hands before turning to leave.

With a nod, the two boys swiftly followed, continuing their search for Sakura.

N

"No good. I don't see anything that Sakura might've left as a signal," Tenten sighed, leaning against a tree, racking her brains. Surely Sakura left _some_ sign? It'd been an hour and a half since the exam started.

"Well, we could follow that way," Naruto said hopefully, pointing to the northwest.

"Why?" Sasuke asked, eyes narrowed. He had a feeling that whatever the answer was, it had nothing to do with Sakura.

"I smell ramen. Beef ramen,"

Tenten and Sasuke must have looked pretty murderous, because Naruto instantly held up his hands and backed away in horror.

"Don't kill me yet!"

"Well, I'm _this_ close-" Sasuke growled, his hand on his sword. Tenten blocked him with a warning glance.

"Are you sure it's not just your stomach talking, Naruto?" the weapons mistress sighed. "And what does smelling beef ramen have to do with finding Sakura?"

"Weeellll…" Naruto trailed off, looking sheepish and guilty. "Kotetsu passed by me yesterday and told me to use my nose to find what I'm looking for,"

"So we're cheating?" Sasuke asked.

"We're going to head that way sooner or later, won't we?" Naruto whined, protesting his innocence.

"Make up your minds, they're gonna change bases soon," Tenten warned, checking her watch.

Sasuke and Naruto glanced at each other.

"Lead the way, dobe,"

N

They'd changed bases by teleporting, and there was still no sign of her team. Sakura knew that she would have to escape soon, she doubted that either scroll or the box would be easy to find in this vast, dangerous forest.

But first, the signal. She couldn't risk having to search for her team instead. Sakura cleared her mind and focused on her problem, as Tsunade had taught her so long ago…

Perhaps her summoning slugs could find her team first and take them to her location. Yes, that would be a good idea.

Her summoning scroll was fastened above her shuriken pouch. She was pretty sure she'd be able to do the summon without opening the scroll, just a touch of blood at the edge of the outer flap would do. Her wrists were bound, but if she wriggled a little… Nawanuke no Jutsu (1) would get the ropes off.

Using her own nails, Sakura cut her thumb, feeling warm blood trickling out slowly. Forming her handseals with some difficulty as it was hard to move her hands properly behind her back, she drew her blood across the outer edge of the opening flap of the scroll.

'_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!'_ (2)

With a small 'poof', a small white slug appeared behind her, looking up at her expectantly.

"Chiisai," Sakura strained to whisper through her gag, trying to pronounce the words while carefully watching Kotetsu and Izumo's backs. They were talking, not watching her. Perfect. "Find Naruto and get my team here," again, her voice was painfully muffled, but hearing the word 'Naruto' and seeing Sakura's tied-up condition, Chiisai understood, nodding before darting towards the cracks of the wooden walls and squeezing itself out.

Satisfied, Sakura concentrated on her next task. Nemuri Genjutsu (3) ought to work nicely if she didn't attract their attention while doing her handseals. Then those two Jounins would fall asleep and there wouldn't be any need to fight.

Carefully, quietly, Sakura placed her hands together behind her back, forming one seal after another to complete the combination required for the illusion.

Done. _'Nemuri Genjutsu!_' she formed her final seal, concentrating on making her targets fall asleep, picture vivid scenes of pleasant dreams. Sakura had to make sure it happened gradually, or one of them might realize what she was doing and reverse the genjutsu.

The cherry blossom watched, holding her breath, as Kotetsu and Izumo's chatting slowly ceased, they were nodding off and slumping to the ground. Pretty soon they were out cold. Smiling at her handiwork, Sakura stood quietly, freeing her hands of the already loosened ropes, then quickly untying her gag. Her mouth was beginning to feel sore.

Stepping carefully over Izumo and Kotetsu's sleeping forms, Sakura exited the small shack that was their second hideout.

Stretching, Sakura paused as she heard a small noise behind her. Before she could even turn, a gloved hand gripped her right arm, vice-like.

Whirling around quickly, her heart racing, Sakura's eyes widened. How could she not have sensed him? The dangerous aura radiating off him in waves like they used to with Gaara – how could she have missed that?

The white hair – those silver eyes – the Rain headband…

"You…" she whispered.

N

Sakura's initial shock gave way to fury as she remembered how this guy had tried to obliterate her entire team, and her eyes narrowed as Shiroi's grip on her arm tightened into a stronghold, numbing it entirely. His clothes were entirely black, long sleeved shirt, long pants, black shoes.

"What do you want with me." She hissed at him. It was a simple, dangerous statement, not a question. She already knew what these people were after – it was not too difficult to guess, there could only be two possibilities. And if he had tried to kill her, as well as Naruto, then he didn't know what dormant power lay within them. Which meant he wanted –

"The scrolls," Shiroi said simply, his silver eyes unnervingly blank. She hated those eyes, they were so… _inhuman_.

"I don't have them," was the cherry blossom's curt reply. It was true, anyhow. The remaining Bijuu-sealing scroll constantly changed hands amongst Sakura's friends to avoid being easily taken. If she remembered correctly, it had been last given to Neji for safekeeping.

Shiroi, however, evidently did not believe her. He took a step closer, staring into her eyes. "You have no idea what I can do, do you?" his voice was level. He removed the glove on his free hand and stuffed it into his pocket, still observing her.

"Is that a threat?" Sakura asked lightly, not flinching. She was used to threats, shinobis got them regularly from petty thieves and robbers during missions. Even if this man wasn't an ordinary run-off-the-mill criminal, she wouldn't let him win this battle of wits.

"Hand them over," Shiroi gripped her collar with his free hand and removed his other glove.

"I said, I don't have them," Sakura spoke through clenched teeth. "Now let – go!" with an angry exclamation, the girl twisted out of his grasp, swinging around with a full-force right hook followed by a roundhouse kick, both which he dodged.

Her next punch was caught, her gloved fist in his bare palm. Sakura seethed. No one could block her this perfectly. Who _was_ this guy?

"I see you've made a choice," Shiroi said flatly, his larger hand closing in on her fist, attempting to crush it. Sakura withheld.

"There was no choice in the first place," the cherry blossom spat at him. "I am a shinobi and so are you. We have a code of honour. Do the math," Her vivid green eyes glared fiercely at him. She couldn't move away, his grip was too strong, she couldn't risk punching the ground and revealing her strengths to the enemy either.

"There are many things a guy can do to a weaker girl out here, you know," the white-haired man looked at her coolly. "One dead body, and no one would be any the wiser," he remained infuriatingly calm.

"I've faced worse," Sakura muttered, remembering the genjutsu Itachi had trapped her in, what the Sound nins had done to her dead body. That illusion… she had absolutely no intention to let it become a reality.

She tugged her fist back forcefully. Unfortunately, his grip only tightened, and his other hand closed in around the bare skin of her other arm. She was really trapped now.

"I'm quite sure you've faced worse," this time, his voice was mocking, goading her to lose her temper. "But I think you've never experienced this,"

Sakura was confused for a moment, but as his grip on her right fist shifted to make contact with the skin above her wrist, she suddenly understood, a wave of terror enveloping her.

A cold, ticklish sensation was running up her arms from the point of contact between Shiroi's hands and her bare skin, like fluid, curling, snaking its way under her flesh. The weather felt unusually warm, the air eerily still, but Sakura was suddenly aware of the fact that she felt cold… and light-headed. Her arms were so cold they were numb, and involuntarily, she began shivering, the cold, freezing sensation contracting her chest, making every breath difficult and painful.

Sakura realized that Shiroi's grip had been the only thing holding her up when he released her and she crumpled to her knees, her arms wrapped around her form in a desperate attempt to keep warm, trembling all over.

The white-haired man pulled his gloves back on, observing her keeling over, now seized by a bout of hacking coughs between ragged, gasping breaths, no doubt caused by the cold constricting her lungs.

"You might want to hand the scrolls over now," Shiroi said aloofly, observing her like he was reading the dinner menu – with complete indifference. "Any contact with my skin will freeze your chakra system and the cold, in turn, will shut down your body,"

"I – don't – have them-" Sakura found the strength to lift her head, glaring at him with murderous contempt. Her skin was deathly pale and she was growing dizzier by the second – her heart was slowing down. Another hour without help and she would be just a frozen corpse. She tried not to imagine the look on Sasuke's and Naruto's faces when they found her like that.

Sakura moaned and keeled over again, her head felt like it was being pounded into mush. It was so very painful…

'_Where the heck __**are**__ they?'_ Sakura thought desperately through the haze in her mind, about her teammates. She had no control over her chakra flow, everything was going haywire with her body system.

Shiroi looked like he was going to say something more, but then his head jerked up as he heard quick footsteps approaching. He didn't want to deal with anyone else right now.

"We'll finish this later," the white-haired man spoke quietly, disappearing into the shadow of the trees.

Sakura could only register the dropping temperature and the pounding of her head, accompanied by strangely loud footsteps that followed its rhythm, distorted voices and images that seemed so much larger, louder than life, and how cold she felt. So cold…

And then she passed out.

N

"No more ramen scent," Naruto said gloomily as they reached the base of a huge tree. Sasuke spotted what looked like wooden plants between the upper boughs of the trees and leapt up nimbly to check. A tree house. It was empty, but he knew that Sakura had been here, traces of her chakra signature were present around the place.

"They must've teleporte," Naruto said as Sasuke leapt down again. Tenten was examining the ground for footprints, but she might as well have been looking at concrete for all the good it did. Leaves covered the whole ground, no one could've left any tracks.

"A tree house up there. She's definitely been here, her chakra signature was all over the place," Sasuke reported quietly.

Tenten rubbed her temples, thinking. "What now? They've already changed bases and we can't waste any more time…"

"Eh… Chiisai?" Naruto suddenly perked up, darting to the left. Tenten whirled around, quickly joining him.

Sasuke saw nothing, he frowned at his teammates' antics. Then he spotted it, a small white slug on the ground in front of Naruto, who bent down to talk to it. "Did Sakura-chan send you?"

"Yes, hurry up and follow!" Chiisai turned, scrambling away. Sasuke vaguely thought that this was going to take all day, but his notion proved wrong – that little slug sure moved fast. Probably why Sakura sent it.

Chiisai led them further into the forest, past a strange entwining of vines overhead that seemed to form a bridge; a huge mushroom in the middle of a clearing with a duck sitting on it; and a rather large earthworm, probably the size of a normal snake, curled up around a branch, sleeping, among many other queer sights. Sasuke could've sworn that this forest seemed to get weirder every time he entered it.

"Quiet. Someone up front," Chiisai chided, as if they had been making any noise in the first place, before stopping in its tracks. They edged forward cautiously, not wanting to pick any unnecessary fights – not without their medic around.

Then there was a loud crackle of dry leaves, as if someone had fallen, heavily. All of them paused, contemplating whether or not to proceed. Making a quick decision, they shuffled forward, prepared to fight if necessary.

That was when they saw Sakura, right ahead of them, her unmistakable mop of pink hair keeled over, forehead pressed to the ground. She was shivering, they could tell even from this distance. All of a sudden, it clicked. The Jounins before, and now her…

"Oh Kami… Sakura!" Tenten and Naruto darted forward, but Sasuke beat them all to it, skidding to a halt on his knees, pulling her upper body towards him so that she now lay on her back against him, and cradled her cold form tightly. Why did he suddenly feel so possessive of her, so angry towards whoever had done this?

"She's bloody frozen!" Sasuke hissed as Tenten and Naruto touched their teammate hesitantly.

Sakura was stirring, she curled up tightly in Sasuke's embrace, completely shut off from the world as only two words escaped her pale, almost blue lips in a pitiful whimper.

"So… _cold_…"

"Teme, Katon!" Naruto snapped urgently. Tenten was already gathering firewood, piling them up near Sakura.

"Don't worry, I'll do it," the weapons' mistress spoke calmly. "Naruto, take all our blankets and put them on her, we'll camp here for awhile," she added, creating a small fireball blown towards the pile of dry leaves. It caught the flames instantly, crackling sharply as she piled larger twigs and branches on it.

Sasuke felt strangely relieved when the cherry blossom's cold, rigid body slowly warmed up and relaxed. The heat was working.

"Hey, there's another base here," Naruto called out as he walked around the tree they were next to.

"Yes, and two Jounins were inside," Chiisai confirmed. "If there's nothing else, I better go now,"

"Thank you very much, Chiisai," Tenten added, smiling at the small slug.

With a small jerk of what might have been a nod, the summoned creature disappeared.

"Eh…! Izumo, Kotetsu!" Naruto's surprised voice rang out rather loudly from behind the tree.

"Quiet, you idiot, do you want the entire forest hunting our team?" Sasuke said sharply, annoyed. They were already taking a big risk with the fire, like Kabuto had said during their first Chunin Exam – the smoke was a clear signal to their team's location.

"But I mean seriously! They're here!" Naruto protested, kneeling down on the wooden floor of the shack base to touch Izumo's hand. It was warm. "It's like they're sleeping… they're not cold at all…"

Tenten frowned, working it out. "Then it must've been Sakura's doing. Nemuri Genjutsu, I presume. You better release them, Sasuke, Sakura's sleep-inducing genjutsus are pretty strong and I'm no good with illusions,"

Sighing, Sasuke carefully put Sakura's head down to lie on the ground, before moving around the tree and entering the shack Naruto was in.

One glance at the two sleeping figures told him all he needed to know. Sakura had probably trapped them with her genjutsu to escape, only to be attacked outside, herself.

But by whom?

Sasuke had a grim feeling that he knew the answer. Kneeling next to Naruto, he placed two fingers on Izumo's forehead and formed his seal.

"Kai!"

A the Jounin began to stir, the Uchiha turned to Kotetsu and did the same. Within moments, both exam proctors were blinking at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Damn," Kotetsu cursed with a half-smile. "She got us,"

"You meant to let her escape all this while, didn't you?" Naruto said accusingly. "The ramen tip and all…"

"Are you complaining, you ungrateful little brat?" Kotetsu grinned, ruffling Naruto's hair. Never mind the fact that the boy was already seventeen.

"Hey, where's Haruno?" Izumo frowned, standing up.

"Outside. Frozen," Sasuke told them rather grimly.

It took several moments for the words to sink in. "Frozen – what the hell – " Kotetsu said in disbelieving amazement, darting out to see for himself with Izumo right behind him. The two remaining boys glanced at each other, before following them out.

The Jounins knelt beside Sakura's still form, cautiously touching her arms. They wouldn't describe her as _frozen_, her body must've been warmed up from the fire, but she was still dangerously cold, her temperature was way below normal.

"We found her keeled over here, barely conscious and incoherent. Someone had left rather hurriedly when we got here, but we couldn't trace whoever it was," Tenten narrated, feeling Sakura's forehead.

"How did you guys know where to find her? Ramen scent was gone by then, we teleported here," Izumo asked.

"Sakura sent a summoned slug," Naruto answered, his brow furrowed. "But it didn't know who attacked her. So she should've sent it before she escaped."

"Should've guessed," Kotetsu mumbled, not believing that they could have missed their 'hostage' summoning an animal.

"We found two Jounins in similar condition in another base," Sasuke said casually, observing Sakura's face. "Radioed for medic nins, they should be fine,"

"Three similar attacks? In barely four hours into the exam?" Izumo exclaimed. "All of them could've _died_, what kind of psycho-"

He was cut off by a sudden blur of pink bolting upright, her breath in constricting gasps, eyes wide and expression panicked.

"Hey, hey, calm down you freakin' idiot!" Tenten held Sakura firmly to keep her still, worried. When the cherry blossom saw that it was just her friends, she nearly collapsed with relief. Clutching her chest, Sakura attempted to regain her breathing, her lungs had been constricted by the cold and nearly cut off her oxygen supply.

"Damn… guy…" she breathed, shivering, She was still very cold, three layers of blankets and a fire did nothing to help that.

"Who was it, Sakura-chan?" Naruto demanded, grasping her shoulders and shaking her a little. "Come on, tell us!"

"Quit it, dobe, you'll kill her," Sasuke growled, yanking Naruto off. Sakura was in no condition to speak.

Yet she was already tugging at Kotetsu's sleeve. "Warn Tsunade-sama… Koru Shiroi… wants the scrolls," Sakura jolted as another spasm of shivers seized her body. She felt like she was standing stark naked in the Snow Country.

"Who's that?" the Uchiha asked sharply. Kotetsu took out the information booklet again, showing Sakura the page they had previously seen.

"This guy? The one you warned us about earlier?" Izumo asked. Sakura could only nod.

"He… can't touch people. Contact with his skin… f-freezes your chakra system… a-and then – the c-cold shuts down your body…" she had some difficulty speaking clearly, her teeth still chattered, but she was starting to feel a little warmer. "He found me when… when I got out here, and said he wanted the scrolls… when I fought him… he dodged everything… took off his gloves. He touched me and I just – started to _freeze_," Sakura shuddered at the memory.

"That white-haired guy… I'll _kill_ him," Naruto growled, fists clenching. Sasuke was a step further, already envisioning the demise of this Shiroi guy by his, Uchiha Sasuke's hand, complete with blood gore, and a soundtrack.

"Well… we better get a report to Tsunade-sama now. You think you can hold on for the exam, Sakura?" Kotetsu stood.

"I'll be okay… I think," Sakura said uncertainly, still feeling rather numb. "But I'm going to finish this exam… and bash that Shiroi bloody and raw at first chance," she growled, before calming herself down and taking measured breaths, testing her current physical state.

"That's the spirit," Izumo smiled, then sombered. "But be careful. Konoha needs all its shinobis now,"

Team 7 nodded silently.

"Warn Kiba's team about this guy if you see them, will you?" Naruto asked just as the two Jounin were about to leave.

Both turned back slightly and saluted, before disappearing into the forest.

N

"Dammit," Sakura cursed under her breath as she failed another tree-climbing attempt. Her chakra control was still rather off, Shiroi's attack had really slowed down its circulation and her reflexes. She was finding it difficult to perform even the simplest jutsus and tasks.

"Sakura, just take a break," Tenten warned. Seven hours into the exam, Sakura's body temperature had returned to normal with their constant movement, and they were looking for the first scroll they were supposed to find. The map was proving difficult to read, it was sketchy and had big gaps missing.

"I think this will last for a day at least," the cherry blossom sighed ruefully, plopping down next to her friend. Sasuke was sitting, some distance away, bent over the map on the floor with his hands locked together just below his chin in that ever so familiar gesture, an obvious sign that he was thinking. Naruto, meanwhile, had gone scouting around to see if there was any stream they could get water from.

"Hey, Sasuke," Sakura asked quietly after a few minutes of bereaving her loss of chakra control.

"Aa," the raven-haired boy did not look up. His brow furrowed in concentration, his mind was probably aeons away.

"What are you staring at the map for? Found anything?"

He did not speak for a long while. Finally glancing up, he motioned to the two girls. "Come see this."

Curiously, they crawled over to take a look.

"Tell me what you see," he said simply.

"Well, we're supposed to find two scrolls ad a box, so the indicators are here, here and-" Sakura paused, searching for the third mark. "-but there's no third mark on the map,"

"Exactly. Two are marked clearly with these crosses, and we're headed here-" Sasuke traced a finger across the parchment, marking their path, "-but I've been staring at that thing for half an hour, and I still can't find any sign of a third marked location."

"Unless two items are hidden in the same place?" Tenten suggested, but Sakura shook her head.

"Too easy," the cherry blossom said. "There may be clues at those two places to lead us to a third, though,"

"Possible," Sasuke said thoughtfully, before spotting Naruto returning. Rolling up the map, he stood and stashed it next to his sword. "Let's get going, we should be there in another half an hour."

Both kunoichi nodded and stood as Naruto rejoined them. At least in Sakura's case, _tried_ to stand. She ended up with a wave of nausea washing over her senses and nearly collapsed if not for Tenten reaching out to steady her.

"you sure you're okay?" Sasuke asked automatically, with a hint of worry in his eyes. Naruto had the same concerned expression on, and Sakura sighed inwardly. Some things, she thought, really never change.

"I'm okay," she told an obvious lie. She had been feeling these bouots of dizziness every time she moved fast ever since Shiroi's attack. Her reactions were worryingly slow. "I just don't think we should get into any fights yet, I can't heal anyone and I'll just be a liability."

There was a moment of silence, her teammates seemed to be contemplating whether or not they should reprimand her.

Finally they turned away, to continue searching for the scroll.

"There's a stream to the northwest, roughly where we're headed. We should camp there tonight," Nnrauto supplied the results of his scouting. Everyone nodded.

"Let's go," Sasuke spoke quietly, and the four shinobis slipped through the forest once more, each absorbed in their own thoughts and unspoken fears.

N

"Left here," Sasuke said, swerving as he spotted what looked like the clump of palm trees as indicated upon the map. He grumbled under his breath, the map looked like it had been scribbled by a kid with a crayon, it looked so crude.

He'd been unanimously and wordlessly chosen to lead the team for some reason, navigating their route. His reflexes were the fastest, and besides, he had the Sharingan, Naruto had reasoned when he questioned them.

"Take that fork and turn right," the Uchiha motioned to the path before them and without a word, Team 7 followed. Sasuke swerved right, he was so concentrated on the map that he failed to see what was right before him.

"TEME! Watch out!" Naruto's voice rang out sharply as a huge, scaly mass lunged towards them. The team dived apart – Sasuke just in the nick of time – as the scaly head reared back, studying its prey thorugh black, beady eyes that glinted malevolently.

Sasuke, Naruto and Tenten had gotten safely out of range in the trees above, but Sakura wasn't so lucky. She'd lacked chakra force in her feet when she jumped, completely missed the branch she'd been aiming for, and tumbled painfully to the ground. She swore viciously under her breath.

If only she'd noticed that she was lying right in the path of the huge snake.

It's massive head was already diving towards her by the time she glanced up in horror. Maybe Kawarimi, the Replacement, jutsu, could –

Then a blur of black flashed past and Sasuke was between her and the snake, sword drawn before him in a defensive stance. The snake's head stopped abruptly, inches away from Sasuke's face. It had recognized him.

"Back," Sasuke hissed, like he was issuing an order. Behind him, Sakura sprung to her feet, flanked by Naruto and Tenten. That had been a close call.

"Uchiha Sasuke, eh…" the massive snake moved it's head back slightly, hissing. "Well. This makes things a little more complicated, doesn't it?"

"Huh?" Tenten looked quizzical. Sakura answered her unasked question.

"Sasuke signed a blood contract with snakes to summon them, and it's a rule that summoned creatures cannot attack those who are involved with the contract. But knowing snakes… I'm not quite sure if that rule would be enforced,"

"Well, unfortunately for me, the rule applies," the snake hissed, with a twitch that somewhat resembled a smirk. "And after all… I wouldn't dare to attack one who can summon Manda-sama (4) himself," its beady eyes studied Sasuke's emotionless face.

'Then you can let us pass," Sasuke spoke curtly, sword still drawn. He'd learnt not to trust any of these creatures, they changed loyalties faster than Naruto could glomp a bowl of ramen.

"I'm afraid that _'it won't be so easy_', quoting Anko's words," the snake replied calmly. Naruto had a feeling that the creature couldn't wait for them to make the wrong move so that he would have an excuse for his dinner, never mind the rules. "You will have to answer my riddle. Get it right on first try, you pass. Get it wrong and you will be attacked. I may not be able to touch the Uchiha, but I have no reservations about the rest of you. There are no other choices nor any other way to your destination,"

Team 7 glanced at each other. They were completely stuck, it would be no point to run, there was no doubt in their minds that the snake would attack the moment they tried to leave. It looked perfectly hungry, anyway.

"Let's hear it, then," Sasuke said quietly, never letting his guard down, while contemplating routes of escape. Just in case.

The snake smiled slyly, beginning to speak. It's voice hissed, the words with 's' in them were slurred horribly, but the team listened intently. None of them fancied asking the snake to repeat whatever it had just said.

"What does man love more than life,

Fear more than death or mortal strife,

What the poor have, the rich require,,

And all contented men desire?

What the miser spends and the spendthrift saves,

And all men bring down to their graves?"

Silence. Naruto glanced around hopelessly. Tenten was pondering the answer, but Sasuke and Sakura had already opened their mouths to speak.

"Nothing," their voices rang out simultaneously, and both shinobi glanced at each other. Sasuke motioned for her to continue.

"The answer is nothing," the cherry blossom looked the snake square in the eye. It remained silent, and for a moment, Sakura feared that their answer was wrong, the snake was going to attack –

"Very well. You may pass,"

The last word came as a long, spiteful, vicious hiss, as if the snake was angry that they had answered correctly – it had just missed its dinner.

"Go. All of you," Sasuke motioned to his teammates to go past the snake first, and followed last, always keeping a watchful eye on the huge predator. He didn't doubt that the snake might just go back on its word of letting them go unscathed.

Its beady, glittering eyes followed them through the trees, before it slithered off with a dissatisfied hiss. Sasuke sheathed his sword.

"Man, that snake sure is scary," Naruto shuddered once they were out of sight.

"He's Katai. One of Manda's subordinates," Sasuke made an elaboration, referring to the snake leader Manda. "Manda always sent him to do all the measly jobs, but it doesn't mean that he isn't vicious… quite the opposite, in fact."

"So why's he reduced to doing these jobs? Anko summoned that snake, I suppose, but do they really consent to doing such meager stuff like acting as the obstacle in an exam?" Sakura questioned skeptically.

"Because he's the smallest of all of Manda's right-hand subordinates," Sasuke replied calmly, nonchalantly, walking on.

"You mean – there are snakes bigger than _that_ one?" Tenten exclaimed, voicing the girls' surprise. "I mean, even Gamabunta (5) is only slightly bigger than that snake!"

"You haven't seen Manda," Sasuke said darkly. Naruto nodded. He'd met the King of Snakes once, when he and Jiraya were attempting to bring Tsunade back to Konoha.

"Oh. Gosh." Sakura's disbelieving voice as she halted cut off their conversation.

Right before them, a huge maze of chakra webs stretched out menacingly from tree to tree. Unlike the previous web they'd encountered early in their last mission, these webs varied in size, clearly visible glowing silvery-white, surrounding and protecting a small, altar-like hut in the very center. The webs were so closely knit and complicated in arrangement , it would be a nightmare trying to crawl through them all.

"All this fuss for a scroll," Sasuke muttered distastefully, pulling a chakra nature card from his pack and swiping it lightly across the web closest to them. The card sizzled viciously with electrical sparks. "And I'll be damned if Kakashi didn't help them with these webs… the electrical charge can match the Chidori," he stowed the card away.

"So… what's the plan?" Sakura asked uncertainly, knowing that punching the ground like she did last time was out of the question, her chakra control was too erratic for her to even attempt a punch – she might end up severely wounded instead.

"Sharingan!" Three black commas swirled in the blood-red irises of Sasuke's eyes as he studied the obstacle. He quickly noted the weaker chakra flow of several webs that might just yield to a strong barrier of their own chakra. Several footholds were visible upon the trees, probably to help them navigate across.

"Well?" Naruto asked as Sasuke turned back to them.

"Difficult, but possible," the raven-haired Uchiha spoke. "There are weak spots in the maze, and footholds on the trees,"

"Are you suggesting chakra barriers?" Tenten glanced at him in surprise. Chakra barriers took up a lot of energy.

Sasuke nodded. "We'll just have to be quick. Three of us will create the barriers, Sakura can slip through the barriers and navigate over the stronger ones with the footholds,"

"Are you sure? My physique isn't the best at the moment," Sakura said doubtfully.

"It's better than our chakra control, and you're the most slender amongst us," Sasuke said bluntly. Tenten pretended to look offended at the comment about Sakura being the 'most slender'.

"Anyway. Here's the plan. I'll create the first and second barriers here and here – " Sasuke motioned to the two webs stretched before them. "Because my reflexes are the fastest and I'll be able to get out before the first web reseals. Tenten will enter next, pass through my barriers, swing over those interlocked webs and create the second barrier on that web,"

Tenten nodded, noting the exact spot she needed to block.

"Naruto enters the same way following Tenten's path, passes through her barrier, navigate under two webs and over the next few – and make his two barriers on the last two webs before the altar. He needs to be there, his chakra reserves are high and those two webs are strong. Sakura, get your path?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura nodded, as did Tenten and Naruto. Sasuke knelt before the first web. "Be quick, Sakura. And you guys, don't touch any of the webs or you'll be fried,"

"Way to lay off on the pressure, Captain," Sakura rolled her eyes. She could've sworn that she'd seen the ghost of a smile cross the Uchiha's face.

His hands glowed momentarily, eerily blue, and as eh touched the web, the chakra began eating its way upwards, cutting the web's connections, in a circle until it rejoined the spot where Ssauke's hand was touching, forming a hole just big enough for a human to slip through, surrounded by what seemed like a ring of blue fire.

Sasuke himself carefully climbed through, and formed the same ring barrier on the second web.

Tenten followed, leaping up to catch a foothold on the nearby tree, swung over three webs expertly, landed and commenced with her part. Naruto entered the maze next.

"Sakura, go," Sasuke said quietly the moment Naruto was in place. He added, somewhat subconsciously: "And be careful,"

"Don't choke me with your concern, Captain," Sakura smiled ruefully at him before her expression switched into grim determination and she slipped through the first two barriers. Following Tenten's maneuver, she leapt up, caught the foothold and swung over to where Tenten was, missing the top of the last web by millimeters.

She met Tenten's encouraging smile with a forced one that looked more like a grimace. Clambering through her friend's barrier, she glanced at the vast maze of the webs before her. All was well for Naruto, who was pretty agile and very much hyperactive, but she was tired and had not yet regained her strength.

Chiding herself sternly for having such thoughts, Sakura took a deep breath and got down to a crawl under the vertical web stretched above, but she hadn't anticipated the horizontal web lying close to the ground, Flattening herself, the cherry blossom resorted to a commando crawl on her tummy. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't too hard, just a few tricky spots and son she found herself leaping over the last web before crossing Naruto's two barriers, met with a wide grin from the blonde ninja. The last barrier Naruto had created was so small Sakura had to dive through it, getting a small shock after having brushed past the edge, before rolling to a halt in front of the altar.

Stepping closer, Sakura saw that the elevated altar held a basin, and the scroll lay at the bottom, but –

**CLANG!**

The sound of metal clashing rung through the forest, and Sakura whirled around, barely dodging a kunai that had been thrown at her. They had enemies – Sasuke had allowed the last web to reseal, and was fighting using his sword, slashing across the webs at whoever it was trying to get in. No problem there, Sasuke's sword was strengthened by electricity after all. Tenten was helping him, hurling two kunais with practiced, dead accuracy using her free hand, hitting two of their attackers square. Judging by the lack of voices, it was probably just another four-man cell trying to get this scroll.

"Hurry up, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said urgently, straining to keep his barriers up. "We need to get out of here!"

"I can't, the scroll's covered by another solid layer of chakra, same as the webs," Sakura said, racking her brains for an idea. She couldn't do a barrier…

"Hang on, I'm coming-" Naruto moved.

"No, stay where you are – it'll be difficult for you to reconstruct the barrier," Sakura's eyes were shut in concentration.

"Hurry up, will you!" Sasuke yelled. His movements were hampered by the two webs he was between. The two remaining members of the attacking team were putting up a good fight.

Sakura didn't even hear him. _'If I can't control my chakra properly enough for a barrier… I can still create a burst of it around my hand… lightning… is weakest against the earth element, right?'_

So. Her chakra was originally earth-natured, this shouldn't be a problem. If only she could just channel, focus the chakra in her hand –

It worked. All of a sudden, her hand glowed brightly with greenish chakra, and she found that she had more control over it than before. For a moment, the sheer joy that her foremost ability – chakra control – had returned, overshadowed everything else. Then she remembered the task at hand. Her face set once more, Sakura plunged her chakra-encased hand into the basin, through the solid layer protecting it.

It didn't hurt. Her theory had been correct; her chakra repelled the lightning-natured barrier over the scroll.

Sakura yanked the scroll out, yelling triumphantly.

"Got it!"

N

_Hm. Was that a cliff?? Well… don't complain, it was such a long chapter! And my fingers are tired…_

_Now you know the name of the white haired guy, Koru Shiroi, and his abilities. The next mystery ought to be his companion, Kin Tsume. Make all the guesses you want to! _

_Explanations:_

_(1)__**Nawanuke no jutsu**__: I'm not sure if this exists, but I think I saw it in a Naruto guidebook. It's a jutsu to loosen ropes that are binding you._

_(2)__**Kuchiyose no jutsu**__: Summoning jutsu, to summon animals._

_(3)__**Nemuri Genjutsu**__: Sleep- inducing genjutsu._

_(4)__**Manda**__: King of all snakes, leader._

_(5)__**Gamabunta**__: Toad Boss, as Naruto calls him. _

_I was doing that for the benefit of those who don't know… okay?_

_And well… that's about it. But another thing is that updates will not be frequent after this because I'm starting school again and this year, there's going to be a lot of stress about schoolwork. So I'm using my last day of holidays to post this… as a tribute to all my faithful readers and reviewers, I love you all!!! Thanks for supporting me… and be patient for the next update!_

_Thanks and ciao!_

_Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR _

_-Rave-chan-_


	33. Chapter 32: Pain for Power

_Gosh, I finally got it done! Chapter 32… so enjoy, guys! And thanks for the wonderful, wonderful reviews that I've received, you guys rock the world!!!_

_Enjoy_

N

Chapter 32 – Pain for Power

三十二 – 为了力量的伤痕

At the precise moment the scroll left the basin, the chakra webs vanished. Sakura's victory celebration, however, was brutally cut short as she hurriedly dived down to avoid weapons that came whizzing her way, clutching the scroll protectively to her chest.

No longer obstructed by the cumbersome webs, Sasuke made a quick job of the remaining two attackers, striking them expertly with the back of his sword, rendering them unconscious.

But no sooner had those two shinobi crumpled when the team found themselves under attack again, this time by a group from the Snow Country, the ones Sasuke had spied on before the exam.

Team 7 was wary. They had used up a lot of energy to retrieve the scroll, they needed to end this round as quickly as possible and get out safely.

"I knew Katai was lying when he said that there was only one way to get in here," Tenten muttered to Sakura, both standing back to back, eyeing the two shinobi who were targeting them. "There's no way so many teams could have gotten past him and his riddles, and Sasuke's the only one with the blood contract,"

Sasuke and Naruto were a few paces away from the girls, the former resorting to his flat, bored façade, the latter, as usual, eager to start the battle. With one loud whoop from Naruto, the stalled fight swung into action. Sakura and Tenten dodged sideways and were replaced by logs as a range of specialty, six-bladed shuriken came whizzing towards them in a perfect arc formation, and before the two Snow shinobi knew it, something had hit them from behind, sending them flying, tumbling and skidding to a halt.

Then both disappeared. Sakura cursed, they were good. A sudden, soft 'whoosh' just above her head told her to dodge, and the cherry blossom leapt back just as someone's foot crashed into the spot where she'd been just a moment ago. She winced. All that force reminded her of one of Lee's kicks, she would've been smashed if that had actually connected.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto's booming voice hammered at her.

Sakura could've grinned at that moment, Naruto's trademark technique was a permanent fixture in every battle, almost like his personal war-cry. The group of clones that materialized joined in the fight with much enthusiasm, punching and kicking so fast they were mere orange blurs.

Tenten swung her Fuuma Shuriken with ease, dodging and blocking her opponent and his kunai. But he, too, was highly efficient, neither managed to land a single blow.

Sasuke's fight seemed to be a breeze for him, his movements were so fluid and precise it gave the feeling that he was simply playing around with his opponent before ending the game. It did not bode well for the poor Snow kunoichi either, because the Uchiha had previously managed to copy their techniques and was now using them, full force, against her.

Sakura exchanged glances with Tenten as they blocked, dodged and attacked their opponents wordlessly. This fight was going nowhere, even if Sakura had partly regained her chakra control. They would have to go according to plan.

"Group them together," Sakura whispered discreetly to Sasuke as she whirled past him, luring her opponent to follow her. Not so far away, Naruto, too, was informed of the plan by Tenten.

It wasn't difficult. The Snow team was good at combat, but they were not quite alert and blindly followed where they were led, hardly noticing that they had suddenly been grouped together with Konoha's Team 7 surrounding them.

Naruto and Sasuke took on Sakura and Tenten's opponents as well, distracting them while the two kunoichi edged away, sprinting towards the two trees situated opposite each other. Like they had done so many times before during practice, both girls ran lightly up the tree trunks, before kicking off and arching backwards, somersaulting through the air and catching hold of the ends of the net Sakura extracted from her pouch, stretching it wide and clamping it down swiftly over their targets as Sasuke and Naruto dived out of range while Naruto's numerous bunshin weighed the enemy team down, preventing them from escaping.

"Now!"

Both boys responded to Tenten's command, catching hold of the other two ends of the net, they released shockwaves of Lightning and Wind-natured chakra, jolting the trapped shinobis and rendering them unconscious while dispelling Naruto's clones.

Tired and sweaty, Sakura stowed the net into her pouch. Her teammates were searching the unconscious shinobi for their keys and any other items of use to them. Tenten found a key on one of the Hidden Waterfall nins, the first group who had attacked them. Naruto took another key from the Snow team. Sasuke examined their maps and compared them with his own – but they were the same, so that did not benefit them. Either way, he took the maps, those teams would be pretty much disabled without a location guide.

Sakura re-examined the altar and basin she had obtained their first scroll from, checking to see if there were any clues indicating a third location, for the box.

No luck there.

The sky was rapidly darkening now. It would be unwise to travel in the dark, and none of them fancied staying the night here – surely other teams would be trying to get this scroll too. Getting attacked twice in a day and being nearly eaten by a giant snake had been enough action for a day as it was.

"I can take us to the stream, we should camp there," Naruto said quietly, creatures and insects of the night already echoing their calls around him.

His three teammates nodded, too tired to reply as they trudged towards him with the items collected in hand. The blonde jinchuuriki turned, dry leaves crackling under his feet.

"Let's get going."

N

The night was unusually cold, for the end of spring. Team 7 huddled around their small, flickering fire, trying to keep warm, taking turns at night watch. Tenten and Naruto were having the second watch, while Sasuke and Sakura had fallen asleep under a tree, leaning against each other.

Tenten had just finished rigging several simple traps around their camp, and grabbed their map from Sasuke's pack, plopping down next to Naruto to study it again. The hyperactive ninja himself was rekindling the fire, occasionally glancing up at his peacefully sleeping childhood teammates with a small, satisfied smile.

"They really have no idea how important they are to each other, ne?" Tenten asked quietly, following Naruto's gaze.

"Yeah," Naruto said distractedly. "It's like sometimes they understand what they feel, but they're just not sure about what they're supposed to do… especially the teme… and yet they're so protective of each other without even realizing it. You know, they pretty much remind me of me and Hinata-chan when we were younger, just with different personalities,"

"Don't you even _remind_ me of you and Hinata," Tenten snorted. "You were so bloody clueless back then, an utter moron when it came to girls, especially poor Hinata,"

"Gosh, I'm so hurt," Naruto grinned. "What are _you_ complaining about? You've got your Hyuuga, and I've got mine,"

"Sounding possessive, eh?" Tenten grinned right back.

Caught up in their conversation, neither noticed the Uchiha jolt suddenly in his sleep, twisting uncomfortably as an expression of fear and terror crossed his face, if only momentarily.

N

A much younger Sasuke sat alone on one of the Uchiha compound's smaller verandahs, his legs stretched out, staring moodily into space while toying with the clasp of his shuriken pouch.

He didn't need to look up to tell who was coming. His mother's footsteps were always gentle, agile, and comfortingly rhythmic, if compared to his father's heavier, attention-commanding steps or Itachi's silent, almost deadly ones.

"Why the long face, Sasu-chan?" Uchiha Mikoto enquired, sitting down next to her younger son, before drawing him onto her lap, enveloping him in a protective embrace. For a moment, Sasuke squirmed, not liking being treated as a 'mother's boy', but remembering that there was no one around to see and laugh anyway, he finally decided against it and snuggled back against his mother, contented.

Sasuke loved his mother immensely. She was the only one who ever smiled around the house, and just as Itachi was his father's pride, Sasuke knew that he was his mother's personal favourite, the one she talked to, the one whose preferred food was always on the table. He knew that Mikoto had been chosen as Fugaku's bride not only because she was a capable housewife, but also a Jounin who could hold her own as a shinobi. Anyway, she was the only one who ever listened to him.

"Nii-san's always too busy to teach me all the cool ninja stuff," Sasuke mumbled into Mikoto's shirt sleeve. "It's always 'maybe another time', then he just walks off. Like I'm a nuisance and he wished that he didn't have a brother. And otou-san just worships nii-san and I'm never good enough for him, but it's not fair because Itachi's so _smart_… I just get left behind, good for nothing."

"Well, you're good enough for _me_, you dissatisfied little squirt," Mikoto teased, tickling Sasuke. He squirmed, pouting.

"But that's _different_," the boy said earnestly. "I want to be good enough for them, too!" Sasuke toyed with his mother's larger, slender hands, running his fingers along her life lines. "And then, whenever nii-san doesn't want to play with me, he pokes me, _hard_," Sasuke turned suddenly to give a demonstration, imitating Itachi's slow-moving fingers and poking Mikoto on the forehead. "It _hurts_," he continued defensively, shuffling back into his original position.

Mikoto laughed. "I'll tell you a story, shall I? About our ancestor Uchiha Madara and his younger brother, years ago, just before Konoha was founded."

Sasuke nodded without much enthusiasm.

"Well, Uchiha Madara was powerful, you see. He managed to develop our ultimate Sharingan, the Mangekyou, but he found that it came with a price."

"What?" Sasuke asked, beginning to get curious.

"Using the Mangekyou took away his sight, bit by bit. So as he tried to conquer the world with his eyes, he lost his sight, little by little, day by day. He was growing ill now, and could no longer fight. But he decided that there was a way, to keep his sight, and gain more power," Mikoto explained. Sasuke snuggled deeper into his mother's embrace, a little creeped.

"So Madara took his brother's eyes. Plucked them right out."

At this, Sasuke trembled. His mother hugged him tight.

"No one quite knew what happened after that, but some say that Madara, by taking his brother's Mangekyou as his own, achieved something he termed as 'eternal light', forever maintaining the power of his Sharingan and also his sight, besides achieving immortality."

"Im-immortality?" Sasuke almost squeaked. Images of zombies and ghosts flashed through his childish mind, horrifying, vivid pictures of how Madara might look like.

"But of course, it's a story," Mikoto reassured him. Even if she wouldn't admit it, she believed that story. Still, there was no need to frighten a child. Itachi would never do that, she thought with some conviction. But the doubt remained.

"Sometimes, Sasu-chan… I don't think that you even need to envy Itachi-kun, because your life is so much better compared to his."

"Huh?" the young boy was confused.

"Imagine your brother, Sasuke… his life is a caged existence, with every path pre-planned, every achievement of merit expected from him, every mistake magnified, his genius taken for granted," Mikoto's face darkened as she spoke about her distant son, regretting how she had never been able to love him, or to give him a proper childhood. "The choices that he is actually free to make are few and far between, and never those with an impact on his life, his road to becoming our clan leader,"

Sasuke stared into space. He'd never thought about Itachi that way, never truly understood what his brother went through.

"He doesn't have a life… and he didn't have a childhood to speak of. You had all that, and you were always loved more. Itachi knows that. Even if your father piles attention on him, it's still you that he want's to know about behind closed doors, from me, you know? After the first 'prodigious' child, you were our sense of normalcy, you showed us what it was really like to be parents, with a child that threw tantrums and got hurt, not a genius who's always quiet, unsociable, who's achieved so much but knows so little about love and life, simple things that kids ought to understand best,"

Sasuke no longer quite followed or understood what Mikoto was saying, but pretended that he did and nodded solemnly, anyway.

"You're so much luckier than your brother, Sasuke..." his mother ruffled his hair lovingly. "I wish that you could see that…"

They were both silent, then Mikoto stood suddenly, pulling her younger son with her. "Well, since Itachi doesn't want to teach you anything, how about we go to the fifth training ground and I show you a few good shuriken throwing techniques?"

Sasuke stuck out his tongue. "You're not as good as nii-san, oka-san!"

His mother pretended to look offended. "Hey, I wasn't made a Jounin for nothing, okay!"

The raven-haired boy seemed to contemplate the offer for awhile. A moment later, his face lit up.

"Okay! I'll got get my stuff! Wait for me!"

"But your pouch is here-"

The boy had already run off. Mikoto followed, picking up the shuriken pouch Sasuke had carelessly left on the floor, knowing full well the ruckus that would follow if Sasuke couldn't find his precious pouch.

Her laughter echoed after the patter of his running footsteps, the silver tinkle of sound filling the house with comforting warmth and happiness so seldom present in the Uchiha home.

N

The pleasant memory was almost immediately replaced by a nightmare that Sasuke had spent his life, day after day, night after night, dreading and regretting.

The round moon shone brightly against the velvety darkness of the dusk, and if this was any other night, the young Uchiha returning from shuriken practice would have stopped to marvel at its quiet, unassuming beauty, but tonight, his eyes saw nothing but endless despair and panic, bodies littering the ground, awash with crimson blood that eerily reminded him of the Sharingan.

He was once again his childhood self, trapped in the scene that he had tried so desperately to avenge, to forget.

Why was the Uchiha compound, usually bustling with activity, so quiet? Why was everyone lying so still, why were they drowning in their own pools of blood?

Terrified eyes scanned the area frantically as his small feet carried him through the mess, desperately trying to avoid all the bodies and blood, an almost impossible task.

"Oka-san!" A silent scream rose in his throat, choked and died down before he could make a sound. The first person he cared about – where was she?

His pants and hiccupping sobs echoed through the silence as he approached his parent's room, shaking, trembling.

Afraid.

That was when he saw them, and him. Two mere silhouettes heaped upon the blood-stained tatami mats, devoid of sound, movement, _life_. His red eyes, staring at Sasuke's tear-stained face mockingly through the darkness.

So. Two high-ranked Jounins, no match for a mere 13-year-old prodigy? Was that the truth? Or had Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto died because he was their _son_, so precious and important to them that they could not have hurt him for the world?

Itachi knew none of that, Sasuke realized, as his brother stepped forward to deal with him. The cold satisfaction written so clearly across his face told Sasuke that this was just a game for him, just as it was a nightmare for Sasuke. All these dead bodies counted as nothing. It was the fact that he, Uchiha Itachi, had killed them that mattered.

The rest of their conversation was little more than a blur to Sasuke, his eyes were trained on Itachi's bloody katana, waiting for it to shift, to strike, to kill him, as he had watched and marveled at Itachi's practices so many times before.

"So – you killed Shisui? You were the one – you killed your own best friend?" Sasuke whispered in horror, finally having to believe what he had so ferociously denied before.

"You have to kill your best friend to obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan," the already evolved, triple-branched swirl stared at him from blood-red pool, striking Sasuke deep.

The younger boy felt sick at the way Itachi so calmly spoke of killing his best friend, as if he was just picking an item off the dinner menu. But most of all, Sasuke felt fear. Fear of dying, of becoming another one of those nameless bodies that surrounded him.

"Don't kill me," his plea came as a pathetic whimper, desperate, afraid. "Don't kill me!" Sasuke backed away so quickly, he tripped over the threshold.

"Kill you?" Itachi scoffed coldly, stepping forward. "You aren't even worth the effort."

Not worth killing. That was all he was. The pathetic little brother, the one to be left alive amidst all those lying dead, the one left alone, the one to bear the guilt.

Sasuke's heart crumpled. If he had had any childish hopes, any trace of innocence and naivety within him, they were crushed, ruined by a brother he had once cared for so dearly.

"Grow up, Sasuke. Kill your best friend. Obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan, then find me. We will fight."

His last words were mere whispers. When Sasuke looked up again, Itachi was gone, leaving behind silence, death, and hatred growing within an avenger.

N

"Sasuke? Sasuke!"

A quiet voice was chiding him, someone was gently shaking him by the shoulder. The Uchiha groaned, blinking to get his sleep-blurred eyes back into focus.

A pink head hovered in his line of vision, her brow scrunched up with worry as her cool hand reached out to touch his seemingly burning forehead.

"Sasuke… you're sweating all over – are you sick?" Sakura asked anxiously. Sasuke was reminded horribly of his mother at that moment, and froze for a split second.

Regaining his senses, the Uchiha sat up, resting his forehead against his palm, trying to recall and comprehend his dream memories. There was _something_, some part of his dream that unsettled him, struck him, but he couldn't identify what it was. The feeling kept nagging at him, but his thoughts were interrupted by Sakura grasping his arm.

"Sasuke? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Sasuke said distractedly, waving her off. "It was just hot yesterday night."

Tenten and Naruto, who had been discreetly listening in on the conversation, exchanged glances. It had been _freezing_ last night, what was with Sasuke? However, sensing something in the air, they tactfully left the duo alone and got on with packing.

Sasuke suddenly realized that Sakura was looking at him rather strangely. "Why? You're staring," the raven-haired boy glanced at her.

"You're not sick, Sasuke," the cherry blossom explained quietly. "And it was cold last night, not hot."

"And you're implying? Sasuke questioned, starting to get rather annoyed.

"I think you had a nightmare," Sakura concluded simply, standing up to pack her bag. "Tell me when you want to."

She left Sasuke, half-irritated and half-amused, wondering how women like Sakura and his mother could alwas tell when something was wrong and also exactly _what_ was wrong.

N

Sakura's hand slipped into her shuriken pouch for the fifth time since they started out that morning. Sasuke was surprised at himself, he was actually keeping track.

Tenten had taken over the map-reading this time round, leaving the Uchiha with a relative amount of free time to observe the pink-haired kunoichi discreetly. His bored mind had taken to making wild guesses regarding the secret she still stubbornly refused to disclose.

He also cursed the fact that Sakura had become far more competent at hiding her emotions. He could catch glimpses of her worry, occasionally, but never enough for him to draw any conclusions.

"We're getting close. Sasuke, Sakura, do a scout, will you? I can't sense anyone around, but it doesn't hurt to make sure," Tenten stopped, carefully balanced on a branch.

The aforementioned duo did as they were asked, Sasuke activating his Sharingan and Sakura sensing chakra.

For a moment, they were silent. Naruto prodded them.

"Hey, everything okay?"

"No," Sasuke and Sakura replied simultaneously, both turning towards him.

"Bad news. It's the Sound team," Sakura reported grimly.

"Karin's probably sensed us properly already, she's far better than Sakura at that, and they're moving pretty fast," Sasuke deadpanned, starting forward towards their destination.

"Hey, where d'you think you're going? They're hunting you!" Naruto snapped, stopping his teammate, angry at his rashness.

"We get the scroll," Sasuke met him squarely in the eye, as he had done so many times before. "It's the third day, we only have this explicit location and one more box to find. We need to get there before the Sound team or we'll fail."

"Well, maybe passing isn't everything to us!" Naruto argued heatedly, not stepping down. "We don't want to lose you again, okay!"

"Passing here is everything to _me_!" Sasuke retorted sharply. "I didn't take Tsunade's bloody tests to fail here, and now!" His onyx eyes bore deeply into the blonde jinchuuriki's electric-blue ones relentlessly.

Naruto looked as if he wanted to argue his point some more, but ended up biting his lip and looking down, unable to find a better retort. Sakura could tell he was fighting not to lose his temper over Sasuke's attitude.

Her arms slipped through theirs gently as she glanced with a smile at both males of her childhood team, linking them together. That was what she was. The link that held that powerful, yet painfully fragile team together.

"Sasuke, we'll get that scroll," Sakura squeezed his arm reassuringly. "Naruto, the Sound team isn't getting Sasuke. Not if _I_ can help it," she clenched her fist with an air of dogged determination.

"That Karin girl may be a better chakra sensor than me, but she doesn't have my strength or my teammates."

N

The scroll was hidden in a tree hole, almost in plain view if not for the shadows concealing it partly. No visible traps surrounded or protected it, but Team 7 wasn't fooled. Life wasn't that easy.

Just as that thought crossed Tenten's mind, Naruto's eager, boisterous voice rang out.

"Well, this looks easy!"

'_Oh no.'_ came the groaning voice in the weapons mistress' head. Out loud, she gave an instinctive warning.

"Watch – "

The warning came too late. The fine trip-wire suspended a foot above the ground caught on Naruto's trousers and immediately, rigged traps sprung into action, firing weapons at the Konoha team. The first few were deflected by Tenten's own deftly-thrown kunais, buying them time to at least flatten themselves on the ground.

They could barely lift their heads with the continuous barrage of razor-sharp weapons whizzing directly above them. Tenten twisted to face Naruto on her left, a murderous glint in her chocolate eyes.

"You were saying?"

The blonde boy could only grin sheepishly.

"Dammit… We'll have to make a run for it," Sasuke growled. "At this rate, we'll be nothing but corpses by the time the Sound team get here!"

"Easy for you to say," Sakura muttered. "Is it just me, or have the weapons increased?"

Tenten was no longer listening to their short-tempered bickering, but instead had carefully flipped over onto her back with her arms crossed over her chest to protect herself. She carefully scanned the area, searching for the source of the weapons, and soon she spotted one of them – a cleverly camouflaged shooter, probably designed to shoot in multiple directions – hidden on a high branch.

Flipping a kunai out, the brown-haired kunoichi narrowed her eyes, taking careful aim. Once she found a clear launch path, she sent the sharp blade cutting through the air with a powerful flick of her wrist, lodging it deeply next to the mouth of the shooter of the opening diagonally, preventing any more weapons from shooting out.

Satisfied, Tenten easily located the other shooter and disabled that, as well. Her surprised teammates cautiously stood at the lack of metallic sounds, dusting themselves.

"Amazing," Naruto let out a low whistle. "That kind of accuracy… remind me to appreciate your skills a little more, Tenten."

The girl laughed. "Well, those won't hold for very long, so get moving. The Sound team status?" she looked enquiringly at the other two.

"They seem to have met an obstruction, we're in luck. Let's get that scroll and get out of here," Sakura reported.

"Well, you need to figure out a way to cross _those_," Sasuke pointed bluntly.

A circle of flames had sprung up, just surrounding the tree hosting the scroll, too high to jump over, and heat waves radiated strongly off it amidst kerosene fumes. The tree branches formed a perfect, almost solid canopy directly over it, making it impossible for them to climb a tree to jump down, either.

Naruto was the first to speak.

"Haku…"

"Eh?" his teammates looked around in surprise, as if expecting to see Haku's team turn up.

"No, I mean his Ice Element technique!" Naruto exclaimed, slamming his fist into his palm triumphantly. "Remember? Kakashi-sensei explained how his bloodline worked – by combining Water and Wind elements, right?"

Sakura nodded slowly, deep in thought. "So you're implying that we could duplicate that and use it as a barrier to cross the fire?"

"Yeah! My Wind, and your bloodline Water – can't we try to replicate his jutsu and create ice walls? This Katon is powerful, I doubt that just a water wall like you used last time might hold against it, but ice…"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to try," Sakura shrugged. "Someone's got to run in to get it, though… Tenten, want to do the honours?"

"Nah, let Sasuke do it," Tenten had a mischievous spark in her eyes. "I'm going to rig up something for our visitors."

"It better be good," her pink-haired friend grinned as Tenten disappeared up a nearby tree. "C'mon, guys!"

The trio chose a spot where the ring was the closest to the tree hole. Naruto and Sakura performed their chakra-release handseals, the latter concentrating on drawing her Water-element. As bluish chakra swirled from their clasped hands and combined, they closed their eyes and focused, picturing what they intended to form. A crude look-alike of Haku's trademark Demonic Ice Mirrors formed, mid-air, drifting towards the flames before splitting into half and parting, breaking the ring of fire in a fluid, sweeping motion, creating a small pathway through.

The fire lapped viciously at the thick ice, eating through it fast. Beads of perspiration rolled down Sakura and Naruto's faces as they fought to keep the jutsu going.

Sasuke darted across quickly, snatching the scroll out of its resting place. Dark fur brushed past his skin as several round objects dropped out and scattered upon the ground, and the Uchiha soon found the source of the angry chattering that hammered away – a bushy-tailed squirrel glared out at him fiercely, defending its domain. Sasuke had disturbed its precious stash of acorns while taking the scroll. The kerosene fumes had probably made it pretty cranky, too.

He almost made a rude face at the angry creature, but thought the better of it and leapt back out just as the crackling flames consumed and melted the remaining paper-thin wall of ice.

Naruto and Sakura slumped, exhausted.

"Nothing else there?" Sakura asked wearily as she reached out to take the scroll from Sasuke, to examine it.

"I'm not sure," the raven-haired boy replied bluntly, still busy glaring at the chattering squirrel, but started as something whizzed past his face, then cursed loudly at his lack of alertness.

Sakura let out a small gasp of pain, watching a sudden spray of blood spurt out as the kunai cut her outstretched hand quite deeply, and quickly withdrew her bleeding arm, trying to heal it.

Sasuke tossed the scroll into his pack, still swearing under his breath with Naruto right next to him. Those were people he did not wish to see right now.

"Feh. Second-rate kunoichi… she isn't as good as rumours state of the 'Godaime Hokage's apprentice'," the bespectacled girl scoffed distastefully at Sakura, twirling a kunai while trying to flirt with Sasuke at the same time.

Sakura couldn't understand why she suddenly felt furious. She took insults well, having heard them for years now from lousy opponents, but now… she stepped closer to Sasuke, her gash fully healed. Opposite them, Karin boiled at the close contact.

The tension wove through the air, creating almost unbearable suspense.

"Ooh, catfight," Suigetsu drawled, leaning against Zabuza's zanbato(1) lazily while looking Sakura up and down. Sasuke stepped in front of her with Naruto, eyes narrowed, both daring Suigetsu to even _touch_ their precious teammate. The man raised an eyebrow. "I must say that Sasuke-sama has good taste in women, though."

"Of course," Karin flipped her hair back.

"Not you, b, I meant the pink-haired one," Suigetsu cast a devilish sidelong glance at Karin, who was fuming. "She's definitely far prettier than '_rumours'_ state, though those rumours were probably created by you."

"_Pretty_?! Have you seen her forehead, you a?" Karin shrieked at him.

"Unlike you, b, she's – "

Sakura was growling behind her teammates, just waiting to pounce. She shoved Sasuke and Naruto apart ferociously, glaring at the bickering pair opposite them.

"I AM NOT AN EXHIBIT FOR YOU TO DISCUSS AND IF YOU LIKE EACH OTHER SO MUCH JUST GO GET MARRIED ALREADY!"

A sudden, shocked silence fell over the entire group. Naruto felt a laugh welling up at the back of his throat but forced it back down, sensing that this wasn't quite the right time to even smile. Not with a furious cherry blossom right next to him.

Juugo, who had been silent all this while, stepped forward awkwardly, eyes trained on the ground while speaking quietly, in a hoarse voice. His words were almost shyly, directed at Sakura.

"Thanks. For shutting those idiots up."

Before he could direct his next sentence at Sasuke, the Uchiha had already spoken, his voice low and deadly.

"There is no need to ask the question. The answer is no."

Silence.

"Very well. I have my orders from Orochimaru-sama." Juugo spoke simply.

Sakura shuddered at the empty, haunting look in his eyes as he stepped towards Sasuke. She could detect a hint of reluctance, he did not wish to do this. Suigetsu and Karin remained behind him, stunned speechless.

Naruto let out a low growl and Sakura's fists clenched despite her doubts, ready to face the hulking man, to defend their teammate.

But they never got to find out what Juugo's orders might have been, for at that very moment, Tenten dislodged the kunais she had used to stem the weapon-shooters before, sending another round of weapons raining down on the sound team as she adjusted the shooters' positions. Team 7 quickly dodged.

Tenten couldn't believe that it had only taken a simple concealment jutsu on Karin and careful control of her chakra to avoid detection by the chakra-sensor, but then, Karin had been so concerned about sneering at Sakura that she wouldn't have noticed, anyway.

Tenten threw in a few of her own weapons for good measure, striking the enemy accurately, even though not fatally. Karin wasn't much good at combat, she could tell; Suigetsu was doing fine, blocking weapons with his sword – if only they weren't coming at him from all directions. Juugo… well, given his size, there wasn't much space to dodge, and he was getting hurt.

The Sound team was trapped. They had unwittingly dodged back, moving towards the fire ring, which obstructed their escape from behind. Tenten made sure they stayed there, creating a thicker curtain of attacking weapons in front of them, restricting their way out.

"_Stop._ Stop!" Juugo grunted furiously, frustration building rapidly within him as crimson blood continued to stain his skin, angry at the pinpricks of weapons that he couldn't dodge or locate.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He knew what came next.

True enough, Juugo was clutching his head now, traces of black marks spreading across his bloodied skin, muttering, chanting under his breath a word that sounded dangerously, suspiciously like '_kill'_.

Suigetsu and Karin abandoned all attempt of protecting themselves from the thick rain of weapons, choosing instead to try and calm Juugo down as he thrashed about.

Sasuke shoved the horrified Naruto and Sakura away from the scene, past the fire ring, urging them to leave quickly.

"Go! It'll take time for them to control his rampage, we should be able to lose them by then."

Tenten leapt down to join them. Taking another glance at the black marks spreading like wildfire across the hulking man's skin, they didn't need to be told twice. Slipping off quickly behind Naruto and Tenten, Sakura looked back at Juugo's hunched, shaking form one last time, feelinga wrenching grip on her heart as she turned away.

The cherry blossom bit her lip. Juugo's condition… that look in his eyes… reminded her so painfully of Sasuke, during the Chunin exam. No one deserved that kind of suffering, especially not him. He had never asked for this, never asked to be the source of so much destruction and people, afflicted with his genes because of Orochimaru's madness.

Behind her, Sasuke paused for a moment, turning back. He knew how much the Curse Seal hurt, when activated, how much willpower it took to control the spread. He knew Juugo's harmless nature. The Sharingan activated, he caught Juugo's power-hungry eyes from a distance and cast a mind-numbing genjutsu, whispering two words: _calm down_.

Without waiting to see if there was any effect, the Uchiha turned and sprinted off to rejoin his team.

N

"How do you stand it?"

The forced chatter around the fire died abruptly with Sakura's sudden question, as her teammates turned to look at her. She'd been silent, all night.

Her question was directed at Sasuke. He met her gaze without flinching, replying in a flat voice.

"Stand what?"

"Juugo. The Curse Seal," She said quietly, her own eyes haunted by memories she did not wish to remember in any way.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said bluntly, turning away, closing his eyes. His gesture for 'close topic, end of story'.

Sakura persisted. "I saw it. _You_ guys saw it," the cherry blossom wrapped her arms around her knees. "The kind of pain in his eyes… that radiates off him… pain that he did nothing to deserve. I've seen it. In _your_ eyes."

Emerald and onyx pools clashed, the latter warning Sakura not to go on, but she ignored the blaring signal. Sasuke didn't understand why, but he was getting angry. Why was Sakura acting like she blamed him for this? The curse, everything?

"I didn't _ask_ for this!" the Uchiha yanked his collar down ferociously, displaying the triple-comma seal.

"You didn't, at first. But now… Kakashi-sensei's seal is gone, isn't it?" Sakura pointed out quietly.

The raven-haired boy stared at her. He hated it when she managed to counter him.

"'_The seal is only as strong as your will for it to remain'_," Sakura quoted, meeting his stare. "That was what Kakashi-sensei told you, all those years ago. But when you left with the Sound Four, they elevated your curse seal to level 2, right? And right on that moment, Kakashi-sensei's seal was gone, because you didn't want it there anymore."

"Where, exactly, is this topic going?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Pain for power," Sakura said simply. "You and Naruto… if Naruto gets impatient or angry, he unleashes the Kyubi without second thought, like you and your Curse Seal. It hurts you guys, it hurts other people, but you do it anyway… so how do you stand it? All that pain… just for a moment of unbeatable strength, while leaving destruction behind… and _knowing_ that you were the cause after that – how do you stand it?"

"How do you stand having the Nanabi sealed within?" Sasuke's voice calmed down after he realized that he'd hit the jackpot regarding Sakura's real meaning.

"Exactly…" the cherry blossom trailed off, looking relieved that someone understood what she meant. She didn't want to say it, the fateful statement – she didn't want to admit that she was a jinchuuriki. Not after seeing the kind of damage Naruto could do with the Nine-tails, to heck with the Nanabi's claims of being the 'good' counterpart for the other eight destroyer beasts. "It feels like… my body doesn't _belong_ to me anymore, like I'm sharing it with an unwelcome, separate entity whose existence I want to hide. But with you guys… I can see the kind of damage done, the pain felt when your other sides take over, but I can only watch when you don't even attempt to restrain the progress because you _want_ that power!"

Naruto and Sasuke were silent.

"Is it worth it? Pain, in exchange for power that destroys you?" Sakura asked. "Juugo… he didn't ask for power, and he doesn't want it, like you said, Sasuke. He'd do anything to get rid of his curse… you guys were given the chance to properly control that source of power, but in one moment of hot-headedness, you forget everything."

"I guess… I never thought of it that way," Naruto admitted, staring into their fire. "I hate the demon inside me, but I want the extra power it can give me… it just never occurred to me that things could get out of hand."

"Then have you ever thought about this?" Sakura's pained expression alarmed Tenten, who shifted close to her friend for comfort. "It struck me some time ago… when I was thinking about the Bijuu-sealing scroll and what the Nanabi said to me – _"If you do this, then you and Naruto will be able to lead normal lives afterwards._"."

"Yeah?" the blonde boy said hesitantly, still not seeing her point.

"That's a lie," the cherry blossom said bitterly. Sasuke and Tenten started, realizing the truth.

"I don't want the Nanabi's power, and I'd gladly seal it away, but if I do that… it would mean extracting the Bijuu from my body – and you know what that brings, Naruto."

He gasped, recalling vivid memories of Gaara's 'death'. "We – we would – _die_."

Sakura looked at him blankly. "That's what I'm afraid of."

She paused, staring into space.

"Death."

N

_Phew! Done!!! hope you guys liked it!_

_(1)__**zanbato**__: it's the huge sword that belonged to Zabuza._

_And I'd like to clarify some things. Quite a few people tell me that I'm making Sakura too strong with all her power and such, but I need you guys to understand that what I'm implying, when making her a jinchuuriki, I meant to portray how much of a burden it is – and also remind everyone that having a Bijuu sealed within isn't a strength, but a weakness, and destruction of oneself. So please don't think that Sakura's starting to have it all. Her kekkai genkai isn't out of this world, either, now that part of it is sealed, she only has absolute control over three elements. _

_Well… I think that's about it. And again, updates are going to be slow, I have no time to do anything… ; sorry. sigh_

_Thanks for all the wonderful support! _

_-Rave-chan-_


	34. Chapter 33: Silver and White

Chapter 33

_First of all, I must say __**SORRY**__. For not updating for three – or was it four? – months. I've been so busy with life in general I can't even find the time to pick up a pen to doodle, let alone draft out an epic battle. But I got around to it anyway, so here's the chapter!_

_This chapter is especially dedicated to my 1100th reviewer, __crazyfrogsasusaku__. I can't believe I haven't updated for so blurdy long…. ; Sorry to everyone who has been reading (and faithfully reviewing) all this while! Thanks for supporting me and being great reviewers and critiques _

_Most people asked for more of the 'white-haired guy' (please remember his name is Koru Shiroi) and this chapter brings you that. But more about him later, all in due time. There's another new character, too – Shiroi's third teammate. I think most of you will have to reread the last few chapters to recall. Again, the fault is mine for not updating for so long._

_Alright. I shall not prattle on and waste your time now. Enjoy!_

N

Chapter 33 – Silver and White

三十三 – 银和白

"_You can't take deaths so badly, Sakura!"_ Tsunade had reprimanded her in her first year on the job, after Sakura had lost a cancer patient, and hadn't found the appetite or the will to eat for three days. _"It's part of the job, and there are so many other lives which need your care - moping about one dead patient isn't going to help the dozens of others who need you!"_

She was right, she always was. Yet… Tsunade had taught her much, Sakura mused, but her mentor certainly hadn't taught her how to handle her own impending death. Medics seldom had time to worry about their own well-being, after all. Kakashi had put it somewhat better.

"_Why the long face, Sakura?"_

_Silence._

"_I lost a patient."_

"_And?" Kakashi flipped open his book nonchalantly._

"_I __**lost**__ a patient," the girl shot back incredulously. "He's dead, sensei - I couldn't, and I can't help him now. He's __**dead**__."_

_The silver-haired Jounin looked at her over the top of his book, observing her for a long while. _

"_You're too sensitive," Kakashi said bluntly, flipping a page. "Death is part of a medic's job, or any shinobi's job, for that matter. You knew what to expect when you started out,with your being a medic and a shinobi at the same time."_

"_Knowing and experiencing are two different matters. And just because I know it, doesn't mean that I don't feel it now, does it?" Sakura said scathingly, feeling hot tears welling up in her eyes. Why couldn't everyone just leave her well alone to suffer? "Can't I just mope for a bit?"_

"_Go right ahead, Sakura. You can mope all you want, but if you torture yourself like this for every patient you lose, you'll be crushed by all that emotional toil," he glanced at her steadily, for once looking serious. "You __**are**__ sensitive, but you've got to learn how to let go."_

_She did not reply, simply wrapping her arms around her knees and staring into space, observing a falcon swooping across the horizon, somehow wishing she had wings to fly with. Childhood stories of birds carrying souls to the sky flooded her mind, tales of the afterlife, heaven, hell. They all started with one thing – death. So how did it feel to die? _

"_What do they feel, I wonder?" the cherry blossom spoke quietly, breaking the silence. "I've thought about it… do they… __**fear**__ dying?"_

"_Who knows?" the silver-haired Jounin shrugged, shutting his book suddenly. Shifting his position, he leaned back using his arms as a support, and stared up at the clear sky. "I grew up during the war. Both my best friends, who were also my teammates, died, when I was young." Kakashi stared into the distance. "Both of them… died for me. I wondered what they felt, too… but when I look back, I'm pretty certain – no, I __**know**__ – that they didn't feel fear."_

_Sakura glanced at him, surprised. _

"_People die for many reasons… most of old age, some of illness and accidents. And most people, they are afraid of death coming to claim them, they fear what lies beyond, or perhaps, what does not lie beyond. Is death a void, a great emptiness? Or is it a beautiful place, like heaven has been described? But those who willingly die for others… that doesn't matter to them. They don't think of death, they think of the people they are sacrificing for. And those people, who do just that – they are the ones who die happy."_

"_Dying for others?" Sakura whispered, grasping the concept. Of course she'd heard about sacrificing oneself, it was what being a medic was all about anyway, but she'd never really thought about it, or actually understand the significance of this principle._

So. Could she do that? Extracting the Nanabi and sealing it would undoubtedly mean her death, as with Naruto. She knew the blonde loudmouth would accept it once he got over the initial shock – sacrificing for others, helping them, was something he held strongly to. But what about her? Sacrificing her time and healing chakra was one thing, but to the extent of giving up her own life to save another…?

'_You're thinking too much, you little idiot,'_ her inner self smirked. '_You never thought twice about rushing in front of your friends to protect them before, even if it meant dying.'_

'_Well, that's different,'_ Sakura shot back. _'I don't see death coming, like how I know it will happen now. I just… want to protect them, and my body acts before my mind thinks.'_

'_Well, you were always pretty reckless, even if you're not as bad as Naruto,'_ her inner self grinned. _'Forget your body acting before your mind thinks, how about holding on to the fact that you want to protect your friends and village, even if you know you will die if you do that?'_

'_Giving a life… to protect?'_ the pink-haired kunoichi mused. A sudden loud brawl snapped her out of her reverie.

"Give that piece of chicken back, dobe, you've had your share," Sasuke snatched the last drumstick from Naruto's gravy-sticky hands as the jinchuuriki protested wildly.

"But I'm _hungry_!" his teammate whined profusely, attempting puppy eyes. Even though it was not as if it'd ever persuade the Uchiha.

Sasuke glared at him. "You ate the most. Leave some for Sakura. You call yourself a teammate?"

"She's not eating! Gimme my chicken!" Naruto pounced at the more agile Sasuke, who held the drumstick high and away from Naruto's grasp, but instead, got a fistful of his shirt deeply stained by Naruto's none-too-sanitary, sticky hands while both boys tumbled.

"Oh, _damn_!" Realizing what he'd done, Naruto swore and quickly let go of Sasuke's shirt as the Uchiha looked down slowly.

The scene froze.

"Argh – GET OFF!" Sasuke yelled threateningly, reaching for his sword, brandishing it wildly while Naruto hollered back at him, defending himself from the dangerously sharp blade. In the midst of all the mess, the piece of chicken flew out of Sasuke's hand and was caught by a very surprised Sakura, while Tenten doubled over with laughter, an unconcerned witness to the murder taking place.

The cherry blossom's eyes softened as the scene unfurled before her eyes, feeling a small smile twisting and lifting the corners of her lips. Taking a bite of the bland but surprisingly well-cooked drumstick, she contemplated how much her teammates, her village, resembled _sukiyaki (1)_ – components of various different colours and tastes, yet mixing harmoniously in the warm pot of soup that held them in one place, letting them rub past each other, never clashing.

She'd die for them. All of them, anytime.

And she'd die happy.

N

Naruto sat with his back against a tree after dinner, twirling a kunai with his brow furrowed. Sakura sat a little ways from him, eyes closed and legs crossed with the two scrolls on her lap, meditating. Tenten's shuriken flew out of her hand at regular intervals, hitting a makeshift target board carved onto a tree, creating a rhythmic, almost comforting tapping sound. She'd hit the bulls-eye so many times there was a gaping indent of wooden splinters where the center should've been, and now she was resorting to _not_ aiming for the bulls-eye instead. Sasuke idly poked at the embers of their dying fire with a stick, looking distant.

The team was brainstorming for all the possibilities of the location of the box, they had been doing that for the past hour and their boredom was beginning to show in their slight fidgeting.

Naruto had never been one to focus, and he was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on the matter at hand. Gradually, his thoughts wandered, reaching into the realms of memory as one's thoughts always do when bored.

Scrolls, huh? How typical. Their first Chunnin exam had seen them competing for exactly the same thing, except that it was considerably harder to have to _find_ the scrolls rather than just attack any random team for theirs. He vaguely wondered what they would do with the box once they got to the central tower. No, not just the box – the two scrolls too. Would Kakashi-sensei be popping out of the box, like the last time when they summoned Iruka-sensei by opening the two Heaven and Earth scrolls simultaneously?

Something seemed to click in that thought. One of the words… scrolls? No. But scrolls… summoning Iruka… _summoning_…

"I'VE GOT IT!"

His three teammates visibly jumped as Naruto's triumphant yell reverberated through their camp, it sounded like a herd of elephants flattening the forest.

"Baka, Naruto, do you plan on getting us all killed?" Sakura hissed furiously as Sasuke doused and extinguished their fire while Tenten retrieved all her shuriken with a swipe of her summoning scroll, just in case any of the enemy were headed their way after hearing Naruto's literal proclamation of their location to practically the entire world, considering how loud his voice was.

"What's the big idea, dobe?" Sasuke scowled as they perched atop a tree some distance away, alert for any sign of enemy teams.

Naruto was completely unaware of the ruckus he'd just caused.

"Summoning!" the jinchuuriki said proudly, not even noticing the deathly auras emanating from the trio surrounding him. "I mean, seriously – scrolls _are_ used for summoning, remember?"

"Dobe, you can't have forgotten what happened to those who opened the scrolls before time in the first Chunin exam," Sasuke deadpanned, annoyed at his friend's apparent stupidity. Or rashness. Or perhaps both combined.

"Any smarter ideas, teme?" Naruto shot back, feeling snubbed but not about to be outdone.

The Uchiha grudgingly shook his head.

"He's got a point, though," Tenten said fairly, looking thoughtful. "Scrolls are used for summoning. Sakura – what about our instructions? Did Kotetsu or Izumo say anything about not opening the scrolls before time?"

Sakura glanced at her, then shut her eyes and concentrated.

Did they say anything of the sort? She could only remember them telling her that they were not to open the box… or had she forgotten her instructions? Well… no. She was pretty certain they only said not to open the box.

Out loud, the pink-haired kunoichi spoke. "Nope. As far as I remember, they just said that the box wasn't to be opened until we were told."

There was a moment of silence.

"Is it worth taking the risk?" Sasuke remained skeptical, crossing his arms defiantly, almost daring his teammates to challenge him.

"C'mon, Sasuke – it's our last chance. We're at our last day now, it's now or never, and we don't have any other leads to work on," Tenten reasoned.

The Uchiha seemed to cave.

"So? Do we all agree?" Sakura volunteered quietly.

A slight murmur went around, signalling agreement. Sakura smiled, handing the scrolls to Naruto.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, surprised.

"Your call. You figured it out, after all," Sakura smiled.

The blonde jinchuuriki grinned broadly, accepting the scrolls from his teammate. It wasn't often that he was allowed to do the honours, considering his generally rash and careless nature.

Holding both scrolls in both hands, with the opening flaps hanging down, Naruto focused his chakra and willed the box to appear, taking a wild shot as he wasn't quite sure if this was the same as summoning animals. Did it require a small blood sacrifice? Well, he hadn't signed a blood contract with a box, as far as he could remember, so he supposed it didn't matter.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

A warm glow enveloped the scrolls, making the team squint at the sudden presence of light. The blonde loudmouth felt a pleasant sensation running up his arms, as if reassuring him that everything was okay, and instinctively, Naruto knew that the summoning had worked.

His teammates watched in fascinated silence. The glow began to dissipate, leaving them with the faint moonlight streaming to the trees as their only illumination. Naruto pulled the scrolls to eye level and examined them. The scrolls were empty, devoid of all trace of words that used to be there. And before Naruto, a large, black, square box stood, as high as his knee, plain and completely unremarkable. Only the lid was carved with Konoha's crest, and beneath that, 'Team 7' was written in calligraphic kanji.

"Ooh, you finally figured it out."

Before any of them had a chance to speak, a foreign voice interrupted the darkness snidely, mocking them.

All four shinobis whirled around, surrounding the box, alert and poised to defend or attack, whichever the situation required. How could they not have sensed –

"I was wondering when you slowpokes would get it," the female voice sneered, the sound of dry leaves crackling under her feet could be heard as she stepped closer, and into the moonlight. "I mean, half the teams in the forest has gotten it already… and I thought Team 7 was supposed to be pretty remarkable."

She looked young, perhaps about fifteen? And she was extremely petite, looking almost too fragile to be a shinobi, let alone a Jounin wannabe. Yet, the arrogance in her smile was unmistakable, and the sort of air radiating off her – Team 7 knew, from experience, that people like these were no empty vessels. She was dangerous and she meant business, whatever her physical appearance suggested.

Her red hair was cropped short, falling over her grayish eyes carelessly. She wore a sleeveless top with a mesh shirt over it, the sleeves reaching her elbow. Black cargo pants and typical shinobi sandals completed her ensemble.

'_She looks like a child,'_ Sakura thought vaguely, eying her surroundings warily. Two shadows lurked behind the redhead, and the cherry blossom had a sinking suspicion that she knew exactly who they were.

"Cut the small talk, Sayuri," one of the looming shadows joined her in the moonlight, allowing herself to be seen. The cascading waves of golden locks seemed to come alive in the silvery glint of moonlight, the taller, more matured female cocked her head to one side with one hand on her hip, surveying Team 7 with a look of distaste – as if they were nothing but trash.

Sakura felt her teammates tense subtly.

"We've got work to do, captain," Tsume, the blonde kunoichi, spoke to the redhead – she was the _captain_? – while glancing at the second shadow behind the redhead. Shiroi – Sakura _knew_ it was him – moved effortlessly, soundlessly, as if he was merely gliding on ice, not walking on dry leaves. "Koru…" she started snidely. "Seems like you screwed up pretty badly, ne?"

"Shut up, Kin," the silver-haired man shot back smoothly.

"Hey, hey," Sayuri piped up lazily, completely relaxed while standing right between two teammates emanating deathly aura, obviously wanting to kill each other. Her cat-like eyes shone brightly in the silver moonlight, studying her 'prey' before her.

Sakura felt extremely wary. This girl was cunning, she could tell, and most probably powerful, too. There was something in her glance that unnerved the cherry blossom – eyes that had seen too much, too much not suited for the eyes of a child.

"Well," Sayuri suddenly straightened, a cocky smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "I know Shiroi gave you a warning. You know what we want," she held out her gloved right hand expectantly.

"Knowing what you want doesn't exactly help when we don't _have_ what you want, does it?" Sakura replied coolly, quietly. "No amount of threatening is going to help you."

Silence. Emerald and grey eyes clashed, each daring the other to give in, to look away first. Yet Sayuri was the one smirking, completely unconcerned, as if she was actually enjoying herself.

A sudden realization hit Sakura as she felt a queer sensation washing over her – it felt like someone was probing into her mind, reading her thoughts, searching for something.

"Don't look into her eyes!" she warned her teammates, wanting to look away, break the connection, but found that she couldn't. Realizing that would be futile, she focused instead on emptying her mind of thought, blocking out the thought- probe.

"Hmph," Sayuri broke eye contact. "Not bad… but she's telling the truth.

'_She was just… toying with me. That… wasn't her real power,_' Sakura thought shakily, feeling her body covered in cold sweat as she fought to keep herself steady, emerald eyes wide. This girl – Sayuri – was that her power? Telepathy?

If so… had she managed to glean the current location of the scrolls through Sakura?

'_Don't worry,'_ Sakura suddenly heard her inner self speaking lazily. _'Blocked her out.'_

For once in her life, Sakura felt thankful for having an alter ego. Somehow, the blow had left her hard-hit and fatigued – how could a mere thought-probe weaken her so much? – and she staggered back to her team, feeling a major headache coming on. Sasuke grasped her shoulders protectively, drawing her to his side.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" Naruto questioned worriedly, his eyes remaining trained on the opposite team.

"What was that?" Tenten asked quietly, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of her face.

"Telepathy, I think… she can read minds, and she can attack them, too," Sakura breathed, perspiring profusely.

"Oh well," Sayuri shrugged nonchalantly. "We'll look somewhere else for the scrolls, but in the meantime… let's grab that box, shall we?" she cast her teammates a sly glance.

Team 7 tightened their grips on their weapons, preparing themselves for every possibility.

"Go all out," Sayuri instructed. "Enjoy yourselves. But don't kill them just yet," the redhaired female turned and walked away, into the darkness. "I'll be waiting back at camp, ne?"

Her grey eyes shone brightly in the darkness, and a small smile curved her lips as she disappeared through the shadows of the trees.

Shiroi and Tsume were still, staring at team 7 emotionlessly, unconcerned. Their lips moved to reply to Sayuri's command.

"Yes, captain."

N

Shiroi made the first move, gliding effortlessly through the air as an eagle daring towards its prey. Regaining her composure, Sakura sprinted forward to meet him despite Sasuke's hand grasping her wrist, trying to halt her.

"I've got a score to settle with him," the cherry blossom told him quietly with a steady, unflinching gaze.

The Uchiha released her. This was a fight to regain her honour form her previous defeat, a concept he himself knew all too well.

Tenten sighed. "I'll be joining that rash girl, then," she darted forward to accompany Sakura. Naruto stopped Sasuke from intervening, knowing how badly the Uchiha wanted to fight with Sakura.

"You'll just dominate the fight, teme. You know it. The fight is hers, and Tenten complements her style in battle," the blonde loudmouth warned.

"Hey, you two," Tsume was striding towards them, every bit as sensuous and attractive as her beauty dictated. "How about you stop worrying about those two kunoichi over there and pay a little attention to me, instead? A lady doesn't like to be ignored, you know."

Naruto could somehow see Jiraya falling for this woman hook, line and sinker. She'd have him wrapped around her little finger in less than the time it'd take Naruto to yell "You stupid old pervert!". But she was not one to be taken lightly, he could feel it.

"Don't do anything rash, dobe," Sasuke hissed, drawing his sword.

"Same goes for you, teme," Naruto grinned, forming his seals.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

N

Spin, dodge, kick, dodge, spin, punch. Sakura and Tenten whirled, attacked and defended with the air of well-practiced ninjas, yet neither had managed to land a scratch on the handsome white-haired man.

"Agh!" Tenten reeled back as Shiroi's gloved fist slammed into her abdomen, feeling the rusty taste of blood filling her mouth. Sakura immediately intervened, taking up Shiroi's attention with a fast array of dangerous, powerful punches.

'_Damn, he's fast!'_ the weapons mistress swore, spinning in a quick step to regain her footing. Sakura had Shiroi's full attention now, if Tenten was to do any damage, she had to take this shot. Reaching into her kunai pouch with both hands, she slipped her weapons out and unleashed ten kunais at different angles with practiced accuracy. Two struck their target deeply as the cherry blossom dodged away mid-kick, and spun back to maximize the sudden lax in Shiroi's defense by throwing an uppercut, slamming into his chest and sending the man flying backwards. He went crashing into a tree, jerked from the impact, and lay still, still conscious.

The two girls stared in horror as blood spurted out of Shiroi's kunai wounds – was that blood? – not crimson, like everyone else's, but white.

White blood, spilling from his shoulder and chest wounds.

The cherry blossom was thunderstruck. What was this? She'd never seen anything like it, not in her five years as a medic, not in the volumes of medical journals and books she'd studied. Tsunade-sama had attempted a list of rare diseases for her, too, but white blood had never been mentioned, nor thought possible.

"What… the hell… is he?" Sakura whispered as she and Tenten backed away, half afraid of what the effects of the blood spill might be.

Shiroi seemed to stagger, trying to continue their fight, but no sooner had he taken two steps than he collapsed to his knees, coughing uncontrollably, his handsome face contorted in suffering pain, while he clawed at his chest.

"He's got a lung problem!" Sakura exclaimed, medic instincts kicking in as she darted forward to help him, regardless of the fact that he was her enemy.

Tenten swore loudly and darted after her, realizing what Sakura meant to do.

"Wait, Sakura, you idiot!"

N

Tsume looked completely relaxed opposite the passive Uchiha and Naruto, who was raring to go with his bunshins surrounding him. The three black commas danced within the blood-red pools of Sasuke's eyes, threatening his opponent with a life of illusion, but the golden-haired beauty seemed completely unfazed.

"Uchiha, eh," she swept aside a lock of hair obscuring her face. "Captain promised that I'd have a good time, but an Uchiha…" Tsume licked her lips.

Sasuke remained completely passive.

"Delicious eyes," he suddenly felt the warm breath of a whisper brushing pas his ear, and all of a sudden, the kunoichi was no longer in his line of view, but right next to him, a goading presence. Naruto rushed at her, kunai aloft, and then she disappeared again.

Sasuke could just detect the faint tingle of cold metal pressed against his throat. Naruto started forward again to defend his teammate, but Sasuke's harsh voice halted him.

"Take care of the box, Naruto."

The jinchuuriki seemed reluctant to comply, but it suddenly struck him that this was the first time Sasuke had ever called him by his actual name. Biting his lip, Naruto grabbed the wooden box and stepped back.

"Are you sure about that, Uchiha?" Tsume teased. "Letting him hold the box when I can get to him so easily? The only one who stands a chance against my hypnosis… is you."

"Cut the small talk, bitch," Sasuke disappeared from beneath her blade. "You're not the only one who moves fast,"

Metal clashed as the duo whirled and spun effortlessly, engaged in a battle too fast, too confusing to follow. Naruto's bunshins formed a circle surrounding the fight, eyes narrowed, evidently uneasy to be made to stand out of the battle.

"Too slow, Uchiha!" Tsume mocked again as she darted past his defense and went straight for Naruto, who was carrying the box.

Naruto dodged away, clutching the box, and in a flash, Sasuke was before him, meeting Tsume's attack squarely, staring her in the eye.

"Like I said, you're not the only one who moves fast."

"Ah," Tsume shirked. "Does it matter?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as her eerily golden eyes seemed to swirl like a never-ending vortex, drawing him in, compelling him to listen, to obey her.

"_Move aside…"_

"_You can kill that insignificant idiot, can't you?"_

"_Give me the box…"_

Sasuke fought back. Hypnosis, that was what she mentioned, wasn't it?

Focusing, he countered her charm with an equally powerful genjutsu of his own, fighting back, threatening to crush her hypnotic power.

'_Damn… eyes…'_ Sasuke swore as a bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face. He could feel the electrical sensation of overwhelming power coursing through the air, almost immobilizing him.

Naruto watched, wide-eyed, still protecting the box. This was getting out of hand, he could tell – while Tsume remained as cocky as ever, Sasuke was already struggling to keep up, keep going, not to let her win this battle.

"C'mon… c'mon, Sasuke, keep it up!" the blonde boy yelled, not even sure if his teammate could hear him. "If you lose to her I'll kill you ten times over even if I have to go to hell to do that!"

"Heh," Sasuke managed a chuckle. "I'm not – going – to – _lose_!"

As he said the last word, the Uchiha felt the force opposing his genjutsu suddenly disappear and he was nearly thrown forward by the strength of his own attack.

Tsume had turned, no longer paying attention to the battle. Naruto rushed up to help Sasuke, and in the silence, they could hear the echoes of hacking, agonized coughs filling the void.

"Shiroi!"

N

"Sakura!" Tenten clucehd Sakura's arm just before the pink-haired medic reached the man suffering an attack. The sight of white blood unnerved her, and besides…

"He's your _enemy_," the brown haired girl hissed. "He tried to kill you once!"

"He's in trouble! I can't just leave him to die!" the cherry blossom retorted furiously. "Not just because he's 'the enemy'!"

"You can't always trust people so much, Sakura!" Tenten reprimanded firmly, still harbouring the feeling that her advice wasn't about to be taken. Sakura was always stubborn.

"I'll take my chances," Sakura pulled away and knelt next to the coughing man, forcing him to lie down, but ensuring that she didn't come into contact with his skin.

"Stay still," she commanded firmly with the authority of a medic as Shiroi tried to move, and channeled healing chakra into his lungs, targeting his bronchus. His chest was still heaving with the effort it took just to breathe, and yet the white-haired man found the strength to speak.

"Why… are you helping me?"

"Because I'm a medic, and medics aren't trained to watch people die," Sakura said grimly, trying to assess the damage to his lungs.

He stared at her face through pain-blurred eyes, the face contorted in concentration and worry. How could she find it in her to help him, after he had very nearly killed her? Most people would've left him for dead, so why, why her?

A shadow of doubt crept into Shiroi's heart.

"_Get the scrolls. Then kill her."_

That was his order. Could he really do it?

'_I… owe Pein-sama more…'_

Just as that thought crossed his mind, his chest constricted painfully again and Shiroi was thrown forward forcefully by an even worse bout of coughing – and this time, he could feel blood trickling down his face.

"Stay still!" Sakura forced him back down again, desperately trying to heal him.

But Shiroi didn't feel the pain anymore. His mind was completely set on carrying out what his superiors had commanded and pain didn't matter. As if running on clockwork, his hand stiffly grasped a kunai from his open pouch, slowly drawing it up. Sakura was so completely focused on healing him she barely noticed the trembling kunai pointed at her chest, her heart, as she bent over him.

'_Pein-sama…'_

"Shiroi!"

Tsume's voice. The world spun wildly as someone hoisted him from behind, the metallic sound of his kunai being knocked out of his hand reverberated through the stunned silence, and then – the cold tip of a blade could be felt at his throat.

Sakura had found herself shoved backwards roughly as the tip of Shiroi's kunai tore through the shoulder of her blouse, and suddenly, Sasuke was standing with his back toward her, the tip of his sword pointed at Shiroi's throat, who, in turn, was being supported by Tsume.

Death waves radiated off the Uchiha, as his grip tightened around his sword.

"She tried to _save_ you," his voice was barely above a whisper, but sounded crystal clear in the apprehensive silence. "After all you did to her, Sakura tried to save you."

Shiroi and Tsume were staring at him the former with his face contorted in pain, the latter emotionless.

"Don't you ever dare touch her again," Sasuke hissed, his blade pricking the skin on Shiroi's throat.

"You hear me?"

Sasuke's teammates bit their lips. This sort of voice – low, dangerous – was a voice Sasuke rarely used, and it meant nothing good.

"Who are _you_ to threaten us, Uchiha?" Tsume asked coldly after a long moment of silence, supporting Shiroi firmly.

With one long, scathing glance at Sasuke, Tsume leapt up, carrying the semi-conscious Shiroi, and disappeared through the trees.

N

"Stop them," Sakura whispered, standing up slowly, almost disbelievingly, as her team stared into the darkness left behind. "He's…. going to die…"

Her face was as pale as a sheet. Shiroi's condition – he looked so perfect on the outside, and yet inside –

Unable to stand the thought any longer, the cherry blossom stepped forward, making to go after the duo, but was quickly blocked by Naruto and Tenten, both shaking their heads warningly, eying the Uchiha.

Sasuke still had his back to her as he sheathed his sword. His hands – no, his whole body – seemed to be trembling. Turning around, he stared straight at her, facing her squarely, his expression completely unreadable. The cherry blossom looked at him, confused, meeting his glassy, icy stare apprehensively.

Without another word, Sasuke raised a hand and slapped Sakura right across her cheek.

N

_There! Finally done, the 33__rd__ chapter!!_

_(1)Sukiyaki: A Japanese steamboat-style dish._

_Hope you guys enjoyed it, and once again, sorry for the long wait!_

_More was revealed about Shiroi in this chapter. What kind of person do you think he is? And his third teammate, Sayuri – do you think she will be important? They only have three people in their team, by the way._

_Ok Tell me what you think!_

_Thanks a million for the wonderful reviews!_

_-Rave-chan-_


	35. Chapter 34: Reconcilation

Chapter 34: Reconciliation

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry for the late update!! I've been so busy lately with life in general I can't even find time to relax and write, but hey, I ain't giving up on this story, because I even know how it's gonna end…

Happy reading!

N

Chapter 34: Reconciliation

The anger began to show on Sakura's face several seconds after the initial shock.

"What… the hell… was that for?" she hissed at Sasuke, fingering her reddened cheek. "What's wrong with you?"

"Shut up, Haruno," Sasuke snarled, blood-red Sharingan boring into Sakura's emerald eyes. There was anger, fury, his expression was completely livid, but there was something else that Sakura couldn't quite pinpoint – worry, fear? But still. The pink-haired kunoichi was too angry to think straight, to catch the finer details.

"_You're_ telling me to – "

"Yes, I'm telling you, _shut up_!"

The air seemed to become increasingly suffocating in the tense silence, as two teammates glared fiercely at each other, neither relenting, neither backing down.

Naruto and Tenten watched uncertainly from the sidelines, unsure if they ought to intervene in this quarrel. Sasuke seemed to be taking deep breaths, trying to control his anger, and only relaxed slightly when his Sharingan faded away.

He struggled to find the words to say something, but faltered and failed. How do you put anger into words? Yelling, screaming, swearing?

No, that wasn't it. What he felt now wasn't exactly anger that could be expressed that way.

"How could you – " he started, but found that he still couldn't say what he wanted to say. Sighing in frustration, Sasuke turned, releasing his clenched fist.

"You bloody idiot," the Uchiha said quietly, walking away, striding into the cover of the trees, leaving the cherry blossom staring incredulously at his back.

N

"What-" Sakura started angrily, faced by his retreating back

"You know, I hate to say this… but he's right, Sakura. You were a bloody idiot," Tenten said, casting her friend a sidelong glance.

Sakura looked furious. "Great! So now the oh-so-icy Uchiha slaps me for no apparent reason and you're supporting _him_?"

Her two friends stayed silent. Sakura wasn't the best person to reason with when she was acting like this. The cherry blossom's jaw clenched in frustration when they showed no response – she wanted to hit something. Not them, never, but she wanted one of them to provoke her, to give her some reason to hit something. Because right now, she was torn between whether or not she was right – or wrong.

"Forget it," she unclenched her fist slowly, motioning towards the route by which Shiroi and Tsume had just left. "I'm going after them."

"Don't you get it, Sakura?" Naruto's voice rang out, strangely detached. His electric blue gaze studied her stubborn expression, her tensed muscles.

"This is exactly why the teme is so angry at you."

"Why – " Sakura started in mild confusion.

"Your mindset in 'saving people'," Naruto said simply. "You just charge it, undoubtedly thinking about that life you feel you ought to save. Of course, that's noble, but you forget even about yourself."

"There's nothing _noble_ – " Sakura cut in, looking down at her torn blouse, the mesh shirt beneath visible through where Shiroi had nicked the outer garment. "Medics aren't trained to care about themselves." She ended somewhat lamely.

"There were better ways to execute your plan of healing him," Tenten retorted, arms crossed. "You could've taken him out before even attempting to heal him, and you wouldn't have ended up nearly being killed."

"But I – " Sakura protested.

"Have you forgotten, Sakura-chan, that you, too, have people who care abut you?" Naruto asked quietly. "Being a medic, putting others before yourself – yes, I understand. But sometimes… it's okay to be selfish. Worry about yourself once in awhile. Shiroi tried to kill you before. It's natural that he would try again, but you – just charged in blindly – there's no guarantee that he'd be grateful or anything! You weren't even the slightest bit cautious about him."

"You made us worried, Sakura." Tenten exhaled, letting out her anger slowly. "We were scared that you'd be killed," she drew a finger across the rough bark of a tree. "That's all. We were worried."

N

Naruto watched as Sakura wandered through the trees, radiating a sense of confusion, like a lost child. He watched as she disappeared behind a large redwood, and sighed.

"I'm no longer sure that it was a good thing to confront her like that…" Naruto ventured. "She just looked like she… crumbled."

"It wasn't the nicest thing to say, but it was the right thing to say," Tenten was starting to prepare dinner. "I know I'm her best friend and all… but this time, I need her to get up by herself and learn that we're gonna be here. Watching her. Cheering her on from the sidelines, and breaking a few rules to carry her out of the battlefield if need be. But right now, we can't watch her back forever. She's got to learn that sometimes, being selfish is the key to her own survival. Even if just a little."

Naruto slowly got up from his sitting position to help, but paused for a moment to tilt his head towards the sky.

Black, endless, beautiful. Silver stars twinkled in the distance, so close, yet so far apart. Sometimes he felt that they were like the stars – brilliantly shining, appearing so close in the dark night sky yet so far in reality. If he'd learnt anything from the bizarre mission, Sasuke's return and this deadly exam, it was that his team still had much to understand and accept about each other.

He'd seen something in Sasuke's eyes when Shiroi tried to kill Sakura, and it wasn't anger. He had wanted to tell her about it before. Now, he cast a glance at the tree behind which the pink-haired kunoichi sat, wondering if he ought to tell her.

Naruto turned and walked away, to help prepare dinner. Not now. That was not for him to tell. Sakura would have to find out for herself, how much their raven-haired friend cared for her.

N

He felt frustration. Anger, sadness, relief, all melted into one bubbling caldron of emotions that he had forced back and never let himself experience until now.

Sasuke couldn't explain what he felt and why he felt that way. When he'd watched Shiroi's dagger, millimeters away from Sakura's heart, some sort of impulse had washed over him like a crashing wave, jolting him with a sense of fear that pierced his heart and twisted through viciously. He could imagine how that pain could've increased tenfold if the dagger had actually pierced her.

And honestly, that was what frustrated him. Why did he feel this way?

When Sakura had been frozen, that hadn't broken him. But perhaps that was because he was so focused on doing what he could do to help her. Now that he had to just watch, fully believing that she would die, that was when it hit him, hard.

Sasuke remembered what had flashed through his mind at the precise moment he'd caught that scene. For just a split second, he'd seen his mother, Mikoto, in Sakura's place, and Shiroi's dagger seemed to be Itachi's glinting blade, about to kill the mother trying to save him.

Then he saw the blood, and Mikoto's limp body slumping lifelessly down, and suddenly, Sakura was the one dead.

He couldn't describe what he felt then. The rising panic in his chest that overwhelmed and suffocated him, and made him feel so scared, so afraid for her, like he was a kid again, afraid of seeing yet another person he loved die. He couldn't' stand another blow like that.

Sasuke's fists clenched, his nails scraping against the bark of the tree root protruding out of the ground. It was so painful, having to feel again. He'd spent five years at Orochimaru's not ever caring what happened to his 'comrades', not ever _having_ to care, and suddenly feeling like this again was too much.

This was also what he had felt when they were attacked outside Konoha's gates, and one of the enemy had had a sword at her throat, when he'd watched her slipping away.

No, he shouldn't be thinking like this. He couldn't afford to, not when he still had Itachi to kill. Having someone so close, so important to him would just make him all the more vulnerable.

Yet it wasn't as if he could just stop loving –

His thoughts paused, thunderstruck. _Loving_? He shook his head, bewildered. What the hell was wrong with him? There was no way he could – _love_ – such a weak, feminine concept. No, not possible, he just cared for her like any other teammate would –

Sasuke's fist smashed into the tree he had been leaning on, his knuckles bled sorely. His eyes shut tightly in frustration, his jaw clenched. And yet, he knew, he couldn't deny it.

He just didn't know what to think anymore.

N

Shikamaru turned and caught the bottle of cold water Neji had tossed at him. Twisting off the cap, the Jounin gulped down half the bottle and poured the rest over his head.

"You checked the Northern passages?" Shikamaru asked Neji quietly as water dripped from his face.

"Yeah. They're all pretty well done, and the entrances properly concealed – couldn't tell where they were without the Byakugan," the Hyuuga prodigy spoke. "The steel reinforcements for the safehouses have been completed, too."

Shikamaru let out a long sigh of relief. He was unusually perplexed about these defense matters – perhaps it was because he couldn't be directly involved in the carry-out of every single plan. It had begun to surprise him, his vigilance. He'd spent his childhood days wanting to be just a 'normal' person, as normal as shinobi could get, anyway. But even that didn't seem quite possible with a war approaching.

'_Damn Akatsuki. They couldn't just well leave the rest of the world alone,'_ a voice muttered from the back of his head as his grimaced. _'Troublesome idiots.'_

"You're unusually tense, Nara," Neji observed, fingering the newly built wall as he activated his Byakugan without being really conscious of it – an annoying habit he'd developed lately during his inspection rounds – as he scanned the wall for weak spots.

"Hmph," the pineapple-head grumbled. "It's impossible not to be tense, the Godaime's breathing fire down my back," Shikamaru scowled at the wall he was staring at, the construction workers had done a shabby job on the last section. Someone would be suffering his wrath tomorrow.

"The area you're scowling at could use a bit more work," Neji suggested, a smile tugging at his lips. Shikamaru perplexed was really an unusual occurrence, and he intended to make the most out of it.

"Yeah, yeah, the guy who did it better be jumping off a cliff now or I'll personally hang him myself tomorrow," Shikamaru deadpanned, casting the Hyuuga a sidelong glance.

There was a moment of silence.

"How about your research on that Shiroi guy that Tenten's team warned Tsunade-sama about?" the Nara genius questioned casually, plopping down on a stack of concrete slabs.

"Not much luck, Hidden Rain's information is tight, and strangely, all our informants are reluctant to sell anything about them – as if they know what will happen to them if they do," Neji rubbed his temples. "But we managed to get a few things from the de-frozen Jounins – he freezes people at touch and it's impossible to resist – though we're not sure what, exactly, his ability freezes in the body, Tsunade-sama's examination on the two shinobi didn't show much."

"That's a pretty impressive ability, but somehow, I don't think that's the extent of their power," Shikamaru mused. "We've no proof, but I'm pretty sure Amegakure backs Akatsuki, which will end badly for us if our exam candidates become prime targets."

"They better not hurt our teams, if they know what's good for them," Neji said darkly, his thoughts drifting to Tenten.

Shikamaru smiled slightly. "I hope they're alright."

Neji fingered the chocolate-coloured wristband Tenten had given him as a gift just before the exam, and glanced at Shikamaru.

"I'm sure they are."

N

Ino and Hinata were discussing civilian evacuation plans with Tsunade in her office when Shizune knocked quietly and announced that Chouza and Chouji were back, after two months of being away. Ino leapt up excitedly, greeting her teammate with so much enthusiasm it was as if he'd been away for years, but Chouji was obviously very tired despite trying his best to return the greeting with a grin.

Tsunade looked at the Akimichi clan head expectantly after Ino and Hinata gave up their desk-front seats to the two men.

Chouza shook his head tiredly, answering the unasked question. "It's no good. No one wants to help supply food, all the other villages are afraid of getting mixed up in this and turning Akatsuki into their enemy as well."

"Haven't they ever lost anything to Akatsuki?" the Godaime asked, quietly fuming. "All those complacent heads, fearing for nothing but their own lives."

"They may have lost their jinchuuriki, but to most, that isn't so much of a loss, seeing as they're viewed as monsters," Chouza replied.

"If we lose this war and Akatsuki completes their Bijuu collection, no one will be spared. They haven't thought of that either, have they?" the Godaime muttered distastefully, scorning the selfish display from the other villages.

"They're not looking that far," Chouji said wistfully.

"But of course, Sunagakure pledged all the help they can give, even in manpower, but being a desert village, there's only so much they can offer in terms of food," Chouza reported. "Hidden Mist has also pledged to help, but as for the rest…"

"How much of our population can we cover with our current food supply?" Tsunade questioned.

"I'd say about two-thirds, including the pledged help. But many foreign merchants are avoiding Konoha altogether after all the rumours, so it may be even less," Chouza answered.

"Then we prepare what we can. Take some time to revise our rationing, see if it can be adjusted. I'll speak to the heads of the smaller villages around to see what they can offer," the Godaime decided.

Chouza inclined his head slightly in agreement. "How are things going with the Jounin exams? And the mission Chouji was supposed to go on?"

Tsunade sighed. "Dangerous, as usual. At least Anko is enjoying herself in the midst of all that bloodlust. As for the mission, I'll leave Ino and Hinata to give you the details, it's a long story," Tsunade glanced out of the window, and stood. "Ino, Hinata, I'll continue this discussion later. Stay here for awhile, I'm going to see someone. Please excuse me, Akimichi-san."

With a parting wave, the Godaime swept out of the room, quickening her steps once out of sight.

N

Jiraya was gazing back at Konoha, his eyes travelling over the familiar, faded-coloured walls and roofs of his home village, pausing for a moment on the Hokage tower before finally resting upon the Hokage monument, so deeply engraved into the cliffs overlooking the village.

Five great shinobi who gave everything they had to keep the village safe, and three of them were extremely precious to him. He didn't care much for the Shodaime and Nidaime – he respected them as the core founders of Konoha and nothing more, nothing less. But as for the other three –

The Sandaime, his teacher.

The Yondaime, Namikaze Minato, his prize student.

The Godaime, Tsunade, his childhood teammate.

Jiraya's gaze fixed on the empty spot next to Tsunade's monument. He could imagine Naruto's face up there, not serious or benign like the rest, but grinning broadly, a sworn protector of Konoha.

'_Maybe I won't live to see you become the Rokudaime, brat, but you better make sure your face is up there or I'll come back to haunt you,'_ the Sannin thought amusedly.

"What's with the stupid look, Jiraya?" a voice cut through his thoughts. Jiraya knew she'd been there, how could he not? Tsunade had a certain presence, cultivated over the years of being Hokage, commanding authority and attention. But he loved her all the same. Through losing teachers and students, he learned the importance of friends, how he could never take them for granted.

"So you're leaving, then?" the blonde woman asked quietly, breaking the silence.

"Yeah. I'm planning to reach our stakeout point before those brats get out of the Forest of Death, I don't want any surprises sprung on us," the white-haired man crossed his arms, looking at Tsunade intently.

The Godaime hesitated. "if the war really happens, you'll be in the front lines, Jiraya,"

He merely chuckled. "What better place to be? I've always wanted to be in the thick of things, Tsunade, you know me well."

"I know," she said quietly, almost sounding frustrated as she stared at the moving clouds, rapid changing shapes and patterns. "But sometimes, I wish I wasn't the Hokage… just so that I don't have to be invincible… and can be in action once again, like all the years before, right at the front lines where I _belong_."

Jiraya grasped her shoulders. "You _belong_ in that office of yours lady. Having one of us in the front lines is quite enough. After all," he grinned. "I could always use some backup."

Tsunade scowled. Jiraya was always acting like everything was a big joke, never showing her how he really felt. It was maddening, his trying to protect her.

"Well, I'd better be going, my team's waiting," Jiraya released her shoulder, meeting her hazel eyes. "It's almost our time, Tsunade. Take care of those brats properly. And say goodbye to Naruto for me, will ya?"

Tsunade nodded. "Promise me you'll come back, okay?"

The Toad Sannin had just been about to turn away, but faced Tsunade again, his expression rather melancholic.

"I don't make promises I might not be able to keep, Tsunade."

They stood there for a long while.

Tsunade took a step forward, and hesitantly gave her childhood teammate a brief, awkward hug, stepping back swiftly lest he get the wrong idea.

Jiraya smiled broadly, saluting her. "Take care, Tsunade-chan."

The Godaime watched him walking away, fighting back her tears. Her inability to protect was coming back to haunt her now, all the people she loved who left, one by one. Dan, her handsome boyfriend, who had died in her arms during a mission. Her younger brother, who had dreamt of becoming Hokage. The Sandaime, her teacher and predecessor, dead at the hands of his won student, Orochimaru.

And now him. The one person left to her, walking away, a mere silhouette against the glorious setting sun. Leaving, without a promise to return.

As Jiraya disappeared through Konoha's gates, Tsunade turned, letting her tears flow as she hugged herself on the deserted pathway, utterly alone.

She knew she was never going to see him again.

N

Anko grabbed the last dango on the plate and swallowed it whole, quickly, before Kakashi could notice that his share was gone.

"Damn, Anko, that was mine!" the silver-haired Jounin protested, but was blatantly ignored. All around them, the Jounins laughed.

"Anyway, is that it?" Genma stretched lazily. Asuma and Kurenai were quietly chatting in a corner of the lounge, Izumo and Kotetsu were laughing their heads off at the coffee table for some reason, Shizune was explaining something to Iruka, standing next to the window – no one was any interested in the meeting anymore.

"Well, one more thing. You could try not getting killed," Anko grinned. "We've got quite a dangerous bunch this year."

"You think we're no match for them?" Asuma cut in, sounding amused.

"Uh-huh," Anko imitated a mother hen tone, wagging a finger at him, pretending to look stern as Kurenai doubled over in laughter. Looking serious was not Anko's forte. "Overconfidence comes before downfall, young man."

"Well, I wish I was that young, Anko, I'm older than you,' Asuma grinned.

"Yeah, and like you're one to talk, Anko," Kakashi cast her a sidelong glance, earning himself a glare.

"I'm trying to give some good advice here!"

"Hear, hear," Genma called out cheekily, and Izumo and Kotetsu applauded amidst hoots and cheers.

"The problem is, Anko, anyone dim-witted enough to take your advice have been liable to getting killed," Shizune said wryly. "Though, for once, you've actually used your common sense."

Far from being offended, Anko grinned. "Well, since everyone is starting to ignore me, we might as well end this."

"Gosh…" Kotetsu yawned. "I've been waiting _forever_ to hear you say that."

Izumo stood, stretching. "I'm going to Ichiraku's. Who's coming?"

Everyone filed out, with Anko at the rear, yelling a reminder.

"You lot better be there tomorrow night!"

On second thought, she yanked Kakashi back, a sly smile playing on her lips as she hissed at him.

"_On time_."

N

"Hey, Sasuke-kun…?"

The Uchiha knew her voice anywhere. It'd been a long time since she last added that familiar suffix to his name, though, and her voice sounded so lost, desolate, confused – as if she was, once again, a mere twelve-year-old, pleading with him to stay.

Slowly, Sasuke looked up, towards the source of her voice. He couldn't tell if she'd been crying, her face simply looked unusually pale in the moonlight. He could see the mark one of his fingernails had left when he'd slapped her, and felt a somewhat guilty pang.

Sakura bit her lip, clasping and unclasping her hands behind her back. It was a blow to her pride to have to admit she was wrong after her bout of righteousness and insisting upon helping Shiroi. And how was she supposed to apologize when the chicken-ass haired idiot was staring at her so steadily? The cherry blossom forced herself to start.

"I made everyone worried," she blurted out. "I'm – sor-"

"Forget it," Sasuke rose from his sitting position, still gazing at her. "I'm sorry – for slapping you – but just –" he struggled to say the words. "-don't do that again."

Both stood facing each other, awkwardly silent.

On a sudden impulse, Sasuke took a step forward and reached out slowly, gathering her into a hug. Damn the 'feminine' emotion. Taking a deep breath, he whispered to her, his voice trembling ever so slightly.

"I was so scared – that I'd lose you again."

N

The break of dawn saw Team 7 sprinting through the silent forest, the silence only broken with the occasional bird call or the sound of forest creatures stirring and rustling awake.

"We've got five more hours 'til deadline and still quite a bit of ground to cover, we better speed up," Sasuke said quietly, ahead of the group. Sakura was third in line after Tenten, carrying the heavy box – Naruto had been unable to reseal it into the scrolls.

"There should be plenty of teams waiting to ambush us for our things near the tower," Naruto called from the back. "The usual formation?"

"Yeah," the Uchiha answered, and the silence resumed with the team falling into their usual watch positions.

The tower was in sight, in the distance. The team quickened their pace, eager to leave this forest in which so many unpleasant memories lingered, both from the past and the present.

Naruto nearly crashed right into the cherry blossom as she halted, quite suddenly, in the middle of a tree they'd landed on. He wobbled precariously at the edge of the branch.

"Hey, what – " he protested as he regained balance, startling their other two teammates.

"Take this," Sakura said rather sharply, tossing the box back to Naruto, causing him to nearly lose balance for the second time, before dropping lightly to the ground.

"Hey, Saku-chan, what's wrong?" Naruto called down tentatively, too curious to be angry at her.

"Come down, guys," she called back up. "Come see this."

Sasuke, Tenten and Naruto exchanged glances before leaping down, puzzled.

"I don't see – " Tenten said confusedly, not seeing anything out of the ordinary, then a flicker of recognition crossed her features as she took in the small abnormalities.

"You see now?" Sakura bent to examine the ground, where an oddly-shaped crater lay. "Orochimaru's minions found us here, when both Naruto and Sasuke were hurt… and when the Curse Seal took over."

The place had been rendered barely recognizable b the thick undergrowth, something that was to be expected after five long years, but there was still a trace of that danger, the lingering fear and threat of death left behind from that experience. And of course, the results of their fight, the deep indent Lee's kick had left, a mark never to be erased.

"I stood up there with Neji, watching you guys with completely no intention to help – I really didn't like you then, Sakura," Tenten grinned. "I was so pissed when they hurt Lee, though, and Neji had these death rays emanating off him… but that was the first time you impressed me when you did everything you could for those two," the brown-haired kunoichi smiled at Sakura, gesturing to Naruto and Sasuke.

The team stood there for a few more moments, taking in everything again, reminding themselves of how far they had come since then – and how far more they had to go.

Without question nor argument, they simultaneously leapt back up into the trees in perfect synchrony, continuing on their way.

N

Anko hummed to herself, watching the battles taking place in the forest, displayed upon the various video screens in the circular observatory room in the tower. She loved watching fights – some called it a sadistic love for blood, she called it an interest in battle tactics. People never understood how the brains of a genius worked, anyway.

"Left, you fool, can't you see that your opponent always attacks from your right?" she muttered at one of the screens, taking a gulp of coffee. Her assistants did not react to her talking to a TV screen, they were far too used to her antics.

"Anko-san," a young Chunin poked his head around the door to the circular room. "The first team is coming."

Nodding, Anko stood from her swivel chair, striding out.

The first team, a three-man cell, Hidden Rain. The silver-haired male was being supported by a blonde, while the younger redhead was completely unperturbed as she handed over three boxes, seven keys and six scrolls.

It took quite a bit of effort for Anko to keep the surprise off her face – this wasn't a team to be taken lightly. She let them pass and had several Chunins take the boxes.

As she was about to re-enter the tower, Anko turned back, glancing into the forest. Konoha's teams were somewhere out there – they weren't here yet, but she didn't' once doubt that they would make it.

N

Two hours left, and a little more distance to cover. Team 7 gained ground quickly, always keeping the tower in sight, forcing themselves on.

But something was amiss.

Explosive tags, not too cleverly concealed, enclosing an area ahead. Traplines, laid close to the ground.

Sasuke cocked his head to one side, his Sharingan activated. He glanced back at his teammates with a knowing look.

"I presume you've noticed?"

They nodded grimly back at him, ascertaining their enemy target location as Tenten flung out several shurikens to cut the traplines and deactivate the explosive tags, triggering the traps before they fell in.

"Let's go," the Uchiha motioned, and they sprung apart.

N

An hour later, the team was one box, two scrolls and two keys richer as they neared the tall tower, tired out. Sasuke and Naruto lugged one box between them, Sakura and Tenten had the other.

"Well, well, if it isn't our own team 7," a voice greeted them from the doorway labeled with Konoha's crest. Anko was leaning casually against the doorframe, her arms crossed.

"Anko" Tenten groaned. "Please don't make life any more nightmarish for us or I swear I'll get back at you later."

"What?" Anko asked innocently. "I haven't done anything yet."

"_Yet_," Sakura muttered darkly, Knowing Anko, that woman probably had another sadistic plot up her sleeve, waiting to serve it up to the bedraggled team.

"Just show me what I want to see, you brats, I haven't got all day," the Jounin rolled her eyes. She'd actually _had_ something planned for them, something that included a Naruto riding piggyback on Sasuke for another lap around the forest… but feeling Sasuke's blood-red eyes boring into her, she decided against it.

The team dumped both boxes down, and handed over the five keys and four scrolls, too tired to argue.

"Not bad…" the dark-haired woman grinned, scanning the items: all intact.

"Which means?" Sasuke deadpanned.

Anko surveyed the unenthusiastic team before her, laughing inwardly. They didn't look concerned about passing at all.

"Well, congratulations. You cleared the second test."

N

_There! Finished! Hope you guys enjoyed it. You finally found out what Chouza pulled Chouji out from the group mission for, ne??_

_Haha… updates will be pretty slow, because I'm really caught up with work now and haven't had the time to write… so please bear with me!_

_Thanks for all the wonderful support and reviews!_

_-Rave-chan-_


	36. Chapter 35: The Beginning of the End

_I apologize for the extremely late update! I had finals to worry about, and then my stupid pendrive crashed on me – with Chapter 35 three-quarters done, too! =.= I had to rewrite the whole thing…._

_All right, I hope you guys haven't forgotten much of the story (my bad!!! ^^; ) and just to refresh your memories: _

_**An hour later, the team was one box, two scrolls and two keys richer as they neared the tall tower, tired out. Sasuke and Naruto lugged one box between them, Sakura and Tenten had the other.**_

"_**Well, well, if it isn't our own team 7," a voice greeted them from the doorway labeled with Konoha's crest. Anko was leaning casually against the doorframe, her arms crossed.**_

"_**Anko" Tenten groaned. "Please don't make life any more nightmarish for us or I swear I'll get back at you later."**_

"_**What?" Anko asked innocently. "I haven't done anything yet."**_

"_**Yet**__**," Sakura muttered darkly, Knowing Anko, that woman probably had another sadistic plot up her sleeve, waiting to serve it up to the bedraggled team.**_

"_**Just show me what I want to see, you brats, I haven't got all day," the Jounin rolled her eyes. She'd actually **__**had**__** something planned for them, something that included a Naruto riding piggyback on Sasuke for another lap around the forest… but feeling Sasuke's blood-red eyes boring into her, she decided against it.**_

_**The team dumped both boxes down, and handed over the five keys and four scrolls, too tired to argue.**_

"_**Not bad…" the dark-haired woman grinned, scanning the items: all intact.**_

"_**Which means?" Sasuke deadpanned.**_

_**Anko surveyed the unenthusiastic team before her, laughing inwardly. They didn't look concerned about passing at all.**_

"_**Well, congratulations. You cleared the second test."**_

_Hope you guys still remember the dangerous Rain village team: Shiroi, Tsume and Sayuri. They're important ^^ _

_On with the story! _

N

Chapter 35 – The Beginning of the End

The team found a certain silver-haired Jounin waiting for them along the hallway leading to the main room, idyllically flipping through his familiar orange book – although this one seemed to be a new edition: 'Icha-Icha Tactics'.

He looked up as they approached, feigning innocent surprise. "Oh, you made it."

"Always the tone of surprise," Naruto grumbled. "You make it sound as if you expected us to fail."

"Well, you sure took an age to get back here," Kakashi said, in his usual, laid-back manner. "When I took the Jounin exams, I completed it in – "

"Oh, shut up, sensei…" Sakura groaned. "Your self-praise is always exaggerated, I don't think I believe you anymore."

"Ouch," the Jounin feigned hurt as he shut his book with a dramatic flourish. "Ah, gone were the good ol' days when my dear little students would just obediently lap up everything I said…

"We did _not_ – " Naruto started out furiously, but was cut short as Kakashi's face turned somber.

"Jiraya-sama said goodbye and take care, Naruto."

They were instantly silent.

"He… left already?" the jinchuuriki asked quietly. The silver-haired Jounin merely nodded, his face blank.

In silence, the team walked on, the reality of facing war finally sinking in.

N

"Naruto!" Kiba gestured wildly from across the hall as Team 7 entered with Kakashi. Shino, Lee, Kiba, Haku and Akamaru were huddled in a section of the circular hall, as were the other successful teams, looking a little worse for wear, but otherwise unhurt.

Team 7 weren't exactly paying attention to them, though. Their gazes were fixed upon the Hidden Rain group, further to their left, where Tsume and Sayuri stood unperturbed, flanking a pale, sickly-looking Shiroi sitting and leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking indifferent as his cool, grey eyes stared at Sakura.

The said cherry blossom met his gaze steadily, but her insides squirmed. How do you face a person like him, a person who freezes you at the merest touch? A person whom she had saved but tried to kill her in return?

Naruto and Sasuke were tensed, angled to protect her, low snarls ripping through their throats. Several teams had turned towards them, curiously watching the drama unfold. The two boys had subconsciously lowered their centre of gravity, leaning forward, preparing to spring with the murderous intent radiating off them in waves.

Tenten cuffed the two boys lightly, placing her hands firmly on their shoulders, asserting force to steer them away. "Not now, not here," she hissed in a low voice. "Walk. _Away_."

It certainly did not help that Sayuri chose that very moment to let a slow, mocking grin spread across her face, daring them, provoking them into making the first move. Of course, that infuriated the boys further, and Tenten very nearly lost her grip on them as they swerved away from her.

"Hey!" a low voice cautioned, and Neji's vice-like grip caught hold of both boys. The Hyuuga had his back towards the Rain team, and glanced at Sasuke and Naruto warningly, opaque eyes narrowed.

"Not worth it. Walk away," he repeated Tenten's warning quietly. There was an underlying current to his tone that made them obey. Slowly, both boys relaxed, very slightly, and forced themselves to turn away, still growling, fists clenched, stalking towards Kiba's alarmed team.

Sakura stood there for just a moment longer, meeting Shiroi's silver gaze, trying to fathom the strange, cold man.

But she found nothing. His eyes, though beautiful, had no depth to them, like a sheet of misted glass.

"Haruno-san," a quiet voice with a liquid, soothing feel to it accompanied the hand that lightly touched her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

She turned to him, forcing her smile for her friends. But who was she fooling? "I'm fine, really. How was your exam?"

Lies. All lies.

Haku knew that, he could see it. But he also understood her confusion, the lost feeling when one was trying to understand, to grasp what seemed like running water. He didn't know the whole story yet, but what did it matter?

As he smiled back and retold tales of his exam, Haku decided that for her sake, it wouldn't hurt to play along.

For awhile.

N

"Well, then."

All the shinobis in the hall looked up at the sound of Anko's voice. The smug Jounin stood atop a raised platform in the centre of the hall, surveying the ten battered teams left to her.

"Congratulations on passing the third test," she continued, her gaze momentarily resting upon the Amegakure team, and the death glares directed towards them from a certain Team 7. Something fishy was going on and she intended to find out what it was – it wasn't as if she hadn't noticed the deadly aura the Rain team emanated.

"Locate your boxes and keys," Anko waved towards the rows of neatly placed chests to her right. There was a soft murmur and quiet shuffling of feet as the teams moved in that direction. Once everyone was in place, Anko spoke again. "Open them."

Each team did as they were told. They had learnt not to disobey Anko after the little kunai incident during their briefing.

Naruto knelt next to Team 7's chest, picking up the two keys from their place on the floor and fitting them into the tricky double lock, turning them simultaneously. There was a soft 'click', and Sasuke lifted the lid carefully, wary of the contents.

A series of profanities made themselves heard throughout the hall as the examinees realized just what was inside the boxes.

Sakura lifted the dark blue fabric and watched it unfurl slowly into a formal men's yukata. She recognized the weaving work.

"You've _got_ to be kidding, Anko! "Kiba yelped indignantly as he glared up at the Jounin, who glared right back. "We half-killed ourselves for _four days_ in the bloody Forest for a box of _clothes_?"

A murmur of disgruntled agreement rippled through the hall. However, in the midst of incredulity, Sakura noted with satisfaction, there were several kunoichis who recognized the value of this gift.

"These aren't just _any_ clothes," A kunoichi from Sunagakure spoke quietly, drawing surprised stares.

Tenten nodded. "They're hand-woven traditional costumes made by the Orimono(1) clan of Konoha. And for all that quality, they aren't cheap."

"Save your complaints, we set the task and you complete it. There's no need for comments, especially since these are gifts for you," Anko added sharply, looking around at the skeptical faces. "You will wear them tonight and attend a formal dinner hosted for several important ambassadors and officials from your respective villages."

Naruto groaned quietly. "I hate dinner parties – there's never enough _food_."

Sakura rolled her eyes at him, then focused on Anko.

"Every single one of you must be present. Remember that these people will play a part in deciding whether or not you will be selected as Jounin," Anko spoke rather disdainfully, she didn't like all those high-handed officials. "Get back and rest. Dress up, and we'll see you at the hall located near your assigned quarters at six sharp this evening. Dismissed."

Slowly, the circular hall began to empty, tired teams trudging out for some desperately needed rest. The Chunins escorting the teams out of the Forest looked flustered, scuttling ahead of the examinees, keeping a wary distance from the dangerous-looking shinobis. Their superior Jounin's scathing glares from the centre of the room only served to aggravate the situation.

"Those brats will be the death of me, I swear," Anko muttered under her breath as Kiba's and Naruto's teams approached her slowly, Neji accompanying them.

"Why? They look pretty okay to me," Kiba commented wryly, knowing from first-hand experience how impossible it was to ever please Anko.

"Hah!" Anko snorted derisively. "They look _scared_. Terrified by you lot of Jounin examinees, actually – and they're still technically on the same rank as you guys, too! In my day you wouldn't catch a Genin shriveling under the enemy's stare."

"In your day, Genin's probably wouldn't even live long enough to see the enemy, much less meet their eyes," Sakura said quietly. "Besides, not everyone grows up in an era of war."

"Well, they're gonna have to learn fast, won't they?" Anko quipped scornfully. There was no such thing as 'subtlety' in the Jounin's vocabulary. They fell silent on the subject.

The rest of the hall had emptied out gradually. Anko watched the last of them leave, then turned to the remaining shinobis, critically eyeing them.

"Spill," she demanded after a lapse in the conversation. "What the hell happened during the exam? I could never get a lock on your location with our surveillance cameras – Kiba's team was fine, it was _your_ team that was always missing," Anko pointed sharply towards team 7, as if it was their fault that she'd lost track of them.

"Maybe we weren't within range…?" Tenten ventured.

"No, we could catch a glimpse of you on the screen, then you would just buzz out of sight and the cameras went blank…"Anko cut in distastefully. "All that expensive surveillance equipment too… all tampered with. The Hokage'll have my head. They were supposed to be well hidden."

"Wait. Buzzed out of sight?" Sasuke queried, frowning. "There shouldn't have been any tampering or anything wrong with the cameras themselves, just interference. That happened to equipment in Otogakure sometimes – even strong levels of chakra can affect them."

"Ah – "Naruto began, but was cut off as a sharp, splintering sound tore through the quiet hall, echoing off the walls in an eerie manner, like the sound of a glass heart shattering.

"Show yourself," Haku was already at the other end of the hall, his old, subtle yet deadly tone returning to his voice. It was clear that the splintered icicles were his contribution.

What caught their attention, however, was not the magnificent, glittering scene of ice. Like an island in the middle of a frozen sea, a circular, dry patch stood out, unaffected by the wetness of the ice, as if protected by an invisible roof.

They were being spied on.

"Shit!" Tenten swore furiously, flinging three kunais with point-blank accuracy. The spots they struck, in mid-air, shimmered as the weapons rebounded and clanged uselessly to the ground.

In a blur of motion, all ten shinobis were surrounding the dry spot at a safe distance, wary. Haku was concentrating, quickly carving ice over the invisible object, trying to discern its shape. But before he could fully complete the seemingly dome-shaped prison, the ice was splintering again, the invisible object was expanding. Shino and Naruto dived apart, barely avoiding being trampled as the 'thing' barreled its way out of the circle.

"Don't!" Neji warned, halting any intention of going after the thing. "You'll only get hurt, this isn't a simple camouflage trick."

There was silence for a stunned second, before Sakura sobered and snarled. "Hokage's office. Now."

N

The cherry blossom's mind was troubled as she slipped on the elaborate crimson kimono embroidered with white lilies. The feel of the fabric was satin against her skin, the garment was light and cool despite its thickness and various embellishments. It would've taken half a year's worth of Sakura's salary to purchase just one of the Orimono clan's garments – highly impractical considering living expenses, even if it was a must-have.

Despite that, Sakura couldn't fully revel in her new treasure, her mind was elsewhere occupied.

"_Spies?" Tsunade's hazel eyes narrowed. Then came the barrage of questions that inevitably followed: who, how, what, when, why…_

_What was most disturbing was that they did not have many answers to those questions. Tsunade had sent her elite forensic team to scavenge for clues, but it would be awhile before they would find something – if they could find anything at all._

"_Go get ready for your dinner first. I'll see you there," Tsuade said heavily after an hour long discussion. _

_It disturbed Sakura, to see Tsunade like that._

"Smile, Sakura, for goodness' sake," Ino slapped her playfully on the arm, her tone indignant. "I'm trying to make you look dazzling here!"

"It's just another bloody dinner," Sakura muttered.

"It's your first formal dinner with the Uchiha in attendance and I'll be damned if you don't look good," Ino retorted sternly as Tenten laughed from across the room, twisting her hair beautifully around a small weapons scroll.

"Why isn't _she_ getting tortured?" Sakura grumbled, glaring at Tenten, wincing as Ino curled her braids into a pretty twist at the nape of her neck and fastened it with a silver lily.

"Neji wouldn't care if she were wearing a dishcloth, I'm not going to waste my time on _her_," Ino snorted. Tenten threw one of her sandals at the blonde kunoichi – deliberately missing by a few millimeters.

Sakura fought back a smile and relented to Ino's administrations, allowing her to doll her up in peace.

"You're bringing weapons?" Ino glanced at her in surprise as Sakura tucked a pair of tessen, metal bladed fans, into her cream-coloured obi.

"Can't be too careful," Tenten grinned. "Anko taught us that much." In actual fact, Neji had also dropped a few hints – discreetly, of course. Tenten was serving as their weapons source in case of any emergency, the scroll integrated into her hairstyle assured that. She had even managed to convince (or annoy) Sasuke to let her place his sword into her collection so that he wouldn't have to carry and surrender it.

"Well, you're done," Ino eyed the two girls critically, then sighed. "I suppose that's the best we can do in two hours…"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Tenten's eyes narrowed at the blonde kunoichi.

"No-thing…" Ino sang innocently, grinning. "Oh, I gotta get back, otou-san is waiting for me to go to the dinner – see you there in a few!" Waving cheekily, the girl dodged out of Sakura's room, shutting the door just as a hairbrush went flying after her. A moment a later, the door was opened , and Ino's head poked in again. "Enjoy yourselves!" She withdrew quickly, before Tenten could throw something else at her, and Sasuke and Naruto were shoved in, startled.

There was a bout of awkward silence as Ino's footsteps died away and both sides took each other in, studying the elaborate, unfamiliar get-up that adorned their teammates.

For the first time, they fully realized just how much each of them had grown, scrawny brats that were now nearly adults. Naruto himself had grown lean and much taller, his once round face maturing into firm, chiseled features with clear blue eyes. His sky blue yukata fit him perfectly.

Despite their constant jokes regarding his hair, Sasuke's good-looking features had become stronger, his expression calmer, his eyes more serene. He used to be always tensed, but now the Uchiha's posture had relaxed, even though that didn't make him any less dangerous. His deep, cobalt blue yukata was embroidered with white calligraphic art, contrasting his paler skin.

Sakura had grown her hair a little longer. Both she and Tenten had been naturally slender, with tanned skin and toned muscles from constant training. Over a span of five years, they'd blossomed into proud kunoichi, beautiful in their own unique way.

"Well… shall we?" Sasuke broke the silence, never taking his eyes off the cherry blossom, subtly offering her his arm.

Suddenly feeling a rush of heat colour her cheeks, Sakura averted her gaze and hesitantly slipped her arm through his, fully aware of Tenten and Naruto's nudges and broad grins behind her.

N

"Surrender all your weapons, please."

At the entrance to the dinner hall, two ANBU squad member stood, frisking all guests before they entered – standard procedure for events attended by important nobles and ambassadors.

Team 7 willingly submitted themselves for checking, the boys surrendering their weapon pouches. Sakura's tessen were left alone. Sakura could've sworn that the female ANBU checking her was smiling under the mask.

Once inside, they were escorted to one of the long tables, and found themselves opposite the Hyuuga family – Hiashi, Hinata, Hinabi and Neji. After exchanging the customary formalities, they discussed the Jounin Exams at length and frowns creased Hiashi's brow as he heard their story. Neji had related it all to him, but getting confirmation from those involved made the situation far more serious.

Before he could comment, however, the Hokage stood at the head of their table, and the quiet chatter immediately died down.

"Thank you for coming," Tsunade's deep voice sounded calmly across the room. "Over the past few days, each of your teams have displayed excellent ability in each of the exams we presented, and finally, we are down to the last five teams. Tonight, we celebrate, before their final exam in another two days."

Everyone listened quietly, even if not attentively. Plenty of the officials from other villages, even the examinees themselves, were fidgeting. Sakura scanned the room quietly, a habit of hers, to locate possible exits and clear paths for combat.

"Please raise your glasses and toast our examinees!" the Godaime announced, raising her sake cup and downing it in one gulp. Sakura sighed. Without Shizune present, she'd have to make sure Tsunade didn't go overboard with her sake.

Setting down her glass, Tsunade clapped her hands loudly, twice. The shoji(2) doors along the banquet hall slid open, and serving girls bowed politely before bringing in trays of food and serving the first course. They bowed gracefully once again, and left the room in perfect, rehearsed formation, sliding the doors shut behind them.

"Please enjoy your food," Tsunade nodded, ever the gracious hostess, before resuming her seat.

"Itadakimasu(3)," came the soft murmur of voices over a slight clatter as the dinner guests picked up their chopsticks and began the meal.

Sakura could feel the eyes watching her, but skillfully kept her face smooth and demure, as would be the countenance of a proper lady. _They_ were observing, she knew. The guests. Jounins were entrusted with high-level espionage missions that often included attending functions at which their targets were present, and each of them had to be able to disguise themselves perfectly in any situation.

The cherry blossom was glad that Naruto, at least, had the sense to act more refined. Dinners at the Hyuuga estate with Hinata must've done him _some_ good if he could eat so calmly now.

Sakura's emerald eyes met those of Sasuke's for a moment. He held her gaze and conveyed a sense of slight worry through his eyes, which Sakura suddenly understood. They had not paid much attention to it this afternoon, but they suddenly realized the significance of a certain absence.

The Otogakure team were not among the five to pass the third test. From what Sasuke had told them, the Sound team was powerful, it was impossible for them _not_ to have passed.

So that left them with only one conclusion: a deliberate dropout. But why? She chewed thoughtfully through her first course, and then her second. The soba noodles were good.

A thought struck her. Placing her chopsticks quietly on the table, Sakura lifted her left arm delicately to shield her face as she spoke to Sasuke on her right. He leaned towards her to listen.

"Sasuke, do you think they – "

She never finished that sentence. At that very moment, a loud bout of intense coughing and choking rang through the polite murmur of voices in the banquet hall. Everyone turned, startled.

Team 7 recognized – with horror – the silver head bent over at the next table, his hands covering his face as his body convulsed violently, shaking the table and upsetting the cutlery. Crimson liquid flowed from between his fingers, dripping onto the pale tatami mats.

"He's been poisoned!" an indignant outcry came from Sayuri next to him, Tsume bent over him in concern on his other side.

There was a patter of noise as chopsticks clattered down. Everyone sat still and silent, frozen – as if waiting for another person to throw up, claim poison.

"What is this?" Sayuri leapt up, pointing an accusing finger at Tsunade. "Is this how Konoha treats its guests?"

The shinobis of Konoha were already halfway rising from their seats, prepared to defend their Hokage.

Tsunade cast them a warning glance as she stood. "I assure you, we have nothing to do with it. But please let me see to him – "

Sakura was almost out of her seat before Sasuke and Naruto yanked her back down and held her there firmly, grasping her arms so tight she gasped. "Don't you _dare_," the Uchiha hissed, onyx eyes livid.

"There is no need," Sayuri said coldly, already heading out of the hall, supporting Shiroi opposite Tsume, careful not to touch his bare skin. "We have our own medics."

"If you move him, the poison will spread – " Tsunade protested, but was cut off by an icy glare from the Rain shinobi.

Slipping out through the shoji doors, Sayuri cast a warning glance back at the mortified guests and Tsunade, her voice sneering. "Amegakure will not forget this insult, Konoha! Do not underestimate us!"

The trio disappeared into the inky black night beyond the door. Sakura noted that Neji had his Byakugan activated, calmly appraising the situation. She patiently waited for his verdict, her own instincts giving her a vague outline of what was going on.

"Just as I thought," the Hyuuga prodigy snapped back into the present, his face smooth. "They've administered the antidote, just beyond our gates."

"That means…" Naruto trailed off.

"They poisoned their own teammate," Lee finished grimly.

"But how? And why?" Kiba questioned in a low voice, only audible to those around him. "People would've noticed."

"Koru Shiroi could have easily put the poison in himself, no one would suspect if he added something to his own food," Shino suggested, arms crossed. "And the reason's obvious. They just wanted to get out of the dinner without seeming rude on their part, and if they damage our guests' faith in us, it'll be all the better for them, wouldn't it?"

"They're coming," Hinata whispered, pale. "If the Rain team left so suddenly, that means _they're_ coming, doesn't it?"

"The war is beginning," Hyuuga Hiashi murmured.

Tsunade, it seemed, had come to the same conclusion. "I offer my deepest apologies, but due to certain factors, I'm afraid I will have to discontinue the Jounin Exams for the moment."

She paused, allowing the information to sink in as a bout of agitated whispering filled the hall. Their guests were uncertain. Few wanted to terminate the exam they had worked so hard for, but the poisoning incident had shaken most of them.

"For your own safety, I advise, with no disrespect, that those who are able to – leave tonight. If you wish, stay, and Konoha will do its utmost to ensure your safety, but we cannot allow you to enter our inner quarters and we will not guarantee your safety either.

"What is going on, Hokage?" the ambassador from the Hidden Grass village questioned sharply, almost rudely. "You would terminate an important exam on your own accord, and fling your guests out like this?"

Tsunade looked at him squarely in the eye. "Konoha is facing an _invasion_, Komakura-san. If you do not wish to get involved, then I suggest you leave."

Heavy silence settled over the guests, and the man who had spoken looked away, red-faced.

"Hyuuga-san," the Hokage addressed Hiashi. "Could you please lead our guests into the next room and leave them to make their decisions?"

"Certainly," Hiashi inclined his head as he stood, then motioned towards the guests. "If you would please follow me."

The Konoha shinobis clustered around Tsunade as the guests left, somber.

"Neji, tell Anko to call the test off," Tsunade instructed. He slid noiselessly out. Before he closed the shoji door, a tiny black sparrow fluttered in. Tsunade pulled a scroll from her obi and performed several handseals. The sparrow lost its form and black ribbons of ink transferred onto the paper, forming black, beautiful, calligraphic letters.

'_They are approaching.'_

Tsunade's hands tightened on the paper.

Behind them, the shoji doors slid open again, and Neji re-entered, followed by a familiar group dressed in black, busy removing cloth masks covering their heads and faces.

"Aw man… I was looking forward to the ambush," Anko complained as she joined the group.

"What ambush?" Kiba asked cautiously.

"Oh," Anko was grinning again, rather slyly. "We were supposed to ambush the dinner like assassins to see which idiots had actually relaxed and surrendered all their weapons."

Her grin turned into a frown as she was met with blank faces. "Don't tell me…" she trailed off, then swore. "Oh, dammit."

"Anko, Izumo," Tsunade barked, snapping out of her agitation and taking charge as she rolled up the scroll. "Send word through Konoha, evacuate everyone to the safehouses and summon all shinobis, Chunin-level and above. We meet at the front gates."

"Hai!" both saluted, and disappeared.

"Kakashi, Neji – get Shikamaru and arrange our forces as planned."

"Hai," the silver-haired Jounin and the Hyuuga nodded, teleporting.

"Asuma, Kurenai – check your traps and barriers, and alert all border patrols, especially the archers."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," the couple bowed and exited.

"Kotetsu, deal with the supplies and rations. And help Iruka with the evacuation."

"Yes ma'am! " He, too, sprinted out.

"Yamanaka-sana, I'd like you and your strongest clan members to assist Shizune with the kekkai barrier,"

"Of course, Hokage-sama," Inoichi and Ino hurried out, the latter casting a quick, worried look at her friends.

"Hyuuga-san," Tsunade addressed the man who had just returned from the next room. "Please ensure that your Byakugan users are with the patrol teams."

"Yes," Hiashi nodded. Hinata and Hanabi followed, but not before Naruto clasped Hinata's hand and cast her a look that held many words unsaid but understood. Hinata bit her lip and slipped her hand out of his grasp, following her father and sister.

"The rest of you, hurry back and get changed. Prepare yourselves, and meet at the main gate in fifteen minutes," Tsunade said heavily. They were all so young – did they really have to do this?" Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto – you're with me."

They parted ways. All the guests, save for the Sand team, had opted to leave. The Sand shinobis, along with Temari as their ambassador, had followed the Konoha shinobis.

As they sped through the cool night, Tsunade spoke. "All your things are at the Haruno estate? Get them."

The Godaime waited as they stripped off their formal wear and pulled on sturdy combat gear, stocking up on weapons and other essentials. Sakura had her medical kit and of course, the glass vial of unknown substance that she carried everywhere.

Tenten was there with her, packing all her weapon pouches and her scrolls. "Ey, Uchiha!" she yelled in the general direction of the next room, tossing Sasuke's blade to him as he poked his head out. She'd just summoned it out of her scroll. He caught it with a quick mutter of 'thanks'.

In silence, they gathered at the main gate to the Haruno residence, where Tsunade was waiting for them, eyes closed, arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe. Her expression was a fleeting mirror of emotions, as if she was contemplating many things. Sakura's heart was heavy, watching her.

Hearing them approach, Tsunade looked up, and straightened. Sakura suddenly remembered something.

"Tsunade-sama, I thought of something during the dinner," the cherry blossom said quietly, recalling the theory she'd been about to tell Sasuke before the poisoning disaster.

The Hokage glanced at her questioningly.

"It's impossible that a team as strong as Otogakure's could've failed a survival test, so I'm guessing they dropped out deliberately," she continued. "And that leads me to guess that they haven't given up on retrieving Sasuke, but they can't touch him yet with all of us around, so they're temporarily withdrawing – delaying until we are weakened by Akatsuki , waiting for greater forces to aid them."

"So – it's not just the Akatsuki and Rain Village that will be attacking – but also the Sound?" Tenten asked, her voice deadly.

No one answered, the answer was obvious.

"Tenten, Sasuke, I want both of you up front," Tsunade said grimly, determination blazing in her hazel eyes. "Warn everyone, tell them to brace themselves and fight smart. Konoha _isn't_ going down on my watch."

"Us?" Naruto asked hopefully, even though he knew the reply.

Tsunade glared in his direction. "As per agreed. You two stay in the safehouses," the Godaime dared him to challenge her.

"If the enemy gets wind of us being there, everyone in the safehouses will die" Sakura protested.

"If the enemies get hold of both of you we're all going to die, either way!" Tsunade growled.

"But-" Sakura persisted.

"Sakura," Tsunade said dangerously, turning to face her apprentice. "You think I don't want to be out there? You think I like watching my comrades fall while I stand protected as the Hokage?" She advanced on the pink-haired kunoichi, hazel eyes blazing. "We can't get killed or captured, do you understand? We have our jobs, and it may not be at the front lines, but it's important all the same!"

"My job is to hide!" Sakura said, frustrated. "Can't I even stay at the outer walls to heal?"

"And get captured the first thing when Akatsuki arrives? If you're so desperate for a job, then you can bloody well go protect everyone in the safehouses!" Tsunade stormed.

Sakura stayed silent, astonished at Tsunade's outburst. She was usually not this temperamental.

Seeing the reaction her voice had garnered, Tsunade took a deep breath, turning away.

"Just stay there, okay, Sakura? I don't have the time or energy to argue with you anymore." None of the four shinobis could see it, but the older woman was biting her lip, fighting to keep her frustrated trembling from them.

Tenten's brown eyes were soft as she faced Sakura, touching her best friend gently on the arm, in hope of leaving her with a little reassurance, comfort, _anything_. "We'll be going, then," she gestured to the Uchiha, who was silent. "Stay safe, Sakura, Naruto. I'll see you all after this. I promise." She looked wistful, but she meant it. She would stay alive for them, and she counted on them to do the same.

Clenching her jaw, the cherry blossom threw her arms around her best friend, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill shamelessly from her emerald eyes. "Stay safe – all of you. Tell everyone for me, all right?"

Nodding, Tenten drew back with Naruto, allowing Sasuke his time with her.

Sasuke's face was unreadable as he reached for Sakura slowly, and pulled her to him, holding her tightly. She returned the embrace, tears sliding uncontrollably down her face now as she clutched fistfuls of his clothes and sobbed into his shirt, almost heartbroken. Could she really let him go? All her friends, could she really watch them leave and stay behind?

The Uchiha was the one to gently extricate himself from her grasp, and Sakura felt his lips brush across her cheek lightly as he drew back – barely whispering past the corners of her lips.

There were no words. His eyes stared long into hers, telling her clearly: _I'll come back_.

Exchanging a quick glance with Naruto, Sasuke and Tenten lingered for a brief moment, and then they both disappeared into the night.

N

**NOTE::::: I'm planning to start a Bleach fanfiction.... tell me, are any of you interested in Bleach??? .**

_Foreign terms:_

_(1)__**Orimono**__ : this literally means fabric/ weaving_

_(2)__**tessen**__: metal-bladed flip fans used as weapons to cut._

_(3)__**itadakimasu**__: a custom, it is said before every meal, to give thanks for the food and to start the meal._

_Well, there! It's almost beginning… after 35 chapters! Hope you guys enjoyed it! _

_Review, thanks!_

_-Rave-chan-_


	37. Chapter 36: The Price to Pay

_Ok, ok… sorry for the very late update, life has been really hectic lately! But I will finish this story, that's a promise to all my loyal readers out there… please just bear with me for a bit! _

_On with it…_

N

Chapter 36 – The Price to Pay

三十六- 代价

Sakura stood there, staring into the darkness for a long moment, fingers brushing the spot where his lips had touched her skin, not even aware of the warm tears that dulled her eyes and dampened her crimson cheeks.

Naruto tugged at her arm gently. "Sakura-chan? Let's go," his voice was soothing, but his muscles were tensed, she could feel them. Sakura knew that it hurt him just as much as it did her, to watch their friends, Sasuke, Hinata, all proceeding to the front lines to protect _them_.

Would she ever forgive herself, Sakura wondered, if any of her friends died out there while she stayed here, away from the danger?

No. She would never. Not in this life, and probably not even in the next.

But one glance at her mentor made her steel herself. Tsunade, too, was staring in the direction Sasuke and Tenten had left, her expression pained, her arms wrapped around herself, as if she was trying to hold herself back from sprinting after them.

Forcing down her own tumult of emotions, Sakura quietly walked up to Tsunade, taking her arm, her brow creased ever so slightly as much as she tried to hide it.

"Let's go, shishou."

N

"They're about ten miles from Konoha, according to our watch bases," Shikamaru traced the enemy's route with a finger on the map laid out. "They really aren't trying to hide the fact that they're coming."

All troop leaders were assembled just within the outermost walls of Konoha's newest defense systems, laying out their final plans. Around them, the rest of Konoha's shinobis were arriving in droves, grim-faced and silent. Morino Ibiki took it upon himself to keep track of the arrivals.

"The final two jinchuuriki to be added to their collection – they think they've got us cornered anyway," Neji said darkly as he looked over at them, arms crossed. He was outfitted in full ANBU garb, speaking to Hinata and Hanabi some distance away from them.

Shikamaru shared his sentiments, but returned to the more pressing matter at hand. "We should be engaging the enemy within an hour. Asuma, Kurenai…?"

"Traps all set and functioning. The perimeter is secure, and Iruka sends word that evacuation is proceeding smoothly and should be complete in another ten minutes," Kurenai confirmed.

"Good," Shikamaru nodded. "And-"

"I just sent word to my brother. We'll have reinforcements soon, the Sand has several Jounin teams camped quite near," Temari walked out of the shadows, interrupting Shikamaru.

"Thanks," the Nara genius acknowledged her.

"Where are our shinobis to go?" Temari asked.

"Front lines or…"

"Front lines," the blonde girl said without a moment's hesitation. The sand shinobis nodded firmly in silent agreement. "We'll be of the most use there."

"As you want it, then," Shikamaru said quietly. "You will join the troops under Kakashi – since you know him, it should be easier to receive orders from him. Is that okay?" he looked to both parties in mention for comment.

"Yes,"

"All right. Temari, fuse your team with Kakashi's and get him to tell you his plans. The rest of you, rest up and make sure you know what you have to do. I'll report to Tsu-" Shikamaru was cut off once again, as two dark figures landed quietly from the rooftops, right next to him.

"It's possible that the Sound nins are coming, too. As part of the enemy," Sasuke said directly, onyx eyes piercing. It took a few moments for the information to register.

"Is that just a hunch or a confirmed fact?" Neji questioned.

"A hunch, but a strong one. I know Orochimaru, it would be just like him to take advantage of this situation. And it isn't like the rest of the world doesn't know Akatsuki is attacking Konoha," the Uchiha replied.

"Oh, great," someone muttered in the crowd.

"Troublesome asses," Shikamaru sighed. "Sasuke, your troops are reassigned to battle Otogakure, since you should know them best. Brief your group about their weaknesses. And choose an additional troop."

"Anko," Sasuke spoke without further thought. Shikamaru glanced towards her for agreement.

"Gladly," the Jounin grinned. "Time to kick some snake butt." She motioned for the Uchiha to join her. "C'mon, Uchiha. We'd better give Oro-jii a thrashing he'll never forget."

"Is everyone here yet?" Neji's calm voice rose above the tensed atmosphere as he spoke to the gathered shinobis, opaque eyes bright in the semi-darkness.

"They've all reported to me," Morino Ibiki answered the question. "Except for those otherwise assigned. The Hokage will join us in awhile."

"Weaponry?" Neji glanced at Tenten.

"All dealt with, they're over there," she pointed to the left, a formidable array of weapons were laid neatly. Trust her to always have weapons in top condition, whatever the situation. "There will be enough for everyone, but use them wisely. And don't waste shots," she looked towards the gathered shinobis with narrowed eyes – warning enough. Everyone knew how this weapons mistress despised shinobis who didn't take care of their weapons well.

No one had anything else to say, and a sudden silence descended over them.

N

Tsunade left them at the safehouses.

The entrance was cleverly hidden, its door resembled exactly the cliff face it was embedded into. The last of the villagers, Genins and children had been ushered in, Iruka was waiting for the final two while Kotetsu supervised the stash of supplies going in.

"Iruka-sensei…" Sakura and Naruto acknowledged him, but their tones were low, their faces downcast. Sakura kept glancing towards Konoha's gates; Naruto's fists were clenched in the effort _not_ to look there.

"Come on, you two," the scarred man said quietly, knowing that words offered no comfort now. Not when they were not where they wanted to be.

"Even Konohamaru's out there," Naruto whispered bitterly. "And I'm _here_." He sank to the ground right next to the door, looking as if he wished to melt through the wall, escape from the safehouse, however ironic it sounded.

The safehouse was a series of large chambers carved out of rock, with the first being a common area and the following connected chambers serving as sleeping quarters, with double-decker bunk beds. It was a village complete in itself, with a formidable pantry, adequate kitchen and proper washing areas. Sakura herself had spent a long while making the plans, supervising the building – never once imagining that she herself would be a prisoner within this safehouse.

Many of the villagers were gathered desolately in the common area, the atmosphere was heavy and quiet. There were several children crying, mothers huddled together. Almost everyone had a son, daughter, brother, sister, father or mother out there.

Sakura bit her lip. Everyone suffered for a war, regardless of where they stayed – at the front lines or away from danger. When you loved, you suffered. But that sort of love made life worth living, right? Could someone really feel this way, like one's heart was being grasped and crumpled until breaking point?

She couldn't stand sitting around. Glancing to her left, where she heard soft sobbing, Sakura saw a small girl, alone against the wall, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her knees were badly scraped – she probably fell while running with everyone else. The cherry blossom quickly strode over, kneeling down next to the raven-haired girl.

Sakura's hand glowed with green aura as she healed the wound. Perhaps she was trying to forget, for a moment, what lay outside, but that was painfully impossible when she was the tears in the girl's wide, onyx eyes – eyes that reminded her so much of a certain Uchiha.

"Nee-san," the girl grasped her arm, her voice a bare whisper through her sobbing. "Nee-san, tou-san and ka-san and nii-chan will come back, won't they?"

A whole family of shinobis out there. One little girl left here. Sakura couldn't say anything, she just hugged the girl tight – waiting for her own tears to come, as they did so easily nowadays.

But they would not betray her this time. She glanced up instinctively, feeling the eyes looking in her direction.

A fresh surge of determination suddenly filled her as emerald eyes locked with electric blue ones across the room. What would they do?

Beneath all their doubts, both shinobis knew that in their hearts, the decision had been made all along.

N

"Are you afraid?"

Kakashi's voice broke the silence. The Jounin was outfitted in ANBU uniform, hitai-ate gone but face mask in place. He sat atop a wall, lounging, gazing at those beneath him. His eyes were unassuming, calm.

"Are you afraid?" he repeated quietly. The question was directed at the youngest shinobis present.

None of them answered. Instead, it was Tenten who raised her voice, her face pale in the dim light.

"I am," she admitted, her voice clear. Many glanced at her in surprise. Did she have no pride, to admit such a thing? But she continued. "I'm afraid that I'll lose people I love. I'm afraid that I'll lose my home. And I'm afraid that I won't live to see tomorrow. And you know what? I feel that fear every day. But that's what keeps me going, to get stronger, to live, to protect."

"There. Easy. Fear – who said it was something to be ashamed of? So… who's afraid?" Kakashi drawled.

Slowly, hands were raised. Many hands. Even seasoned shinobis were among them.

"Shinobis should be fearless, right?" the silver-haired Jounin continued, looking up at the sky. "But suppressing fears only multiplies them. So change that fear."

"When you think _'I'm afraid to lose the people I love'_, change it to _'I won't let the people I love get hurt_'," Tsunade stepped out of the darkness, so suddenly that a few people started. She spoke in a low but clear voice, carrying over in the chilly night breeze. "If it's _'I'm afraid I'll lose my home'_, then think _'I'll protect my home'_. If you're thinking '_I'm afraid I'll die'_, then make it _'I won't die'_!"

Her voice resounded in the night air, building in a crescendo. All eyes were on her now, silent.

"Remember who you are and what you fight for. Konoha's blood runs in each and every one of you… I left two reluctant Chunins back there-" she gestured towards the cliffs, "-all of you know who they are. They, and the villagers, are counting on you," Tsunade's voice lowered, and her hazel eyes stared into the crowd. Eyes that stared into each and every heart, that gave them her strength and spirit.

The Hokage stood proud and tall, her voice echoing with the voices of all Konoha's leaders before her.

"Can I count on you?"

The deafening reply she received roared through the village, embedding its promise deep into the hearts of those they protected.

N

Akatsuki was made up of shinobis who preferred their own company and were seldom seen together – but when ranged as a group, they made a formidable sight. With Pein and Konan at the point, they moved in a spearhead formation, leading the Amegakure warriors towards Konoha.

"Knowing those brats, they'll have set up all their useless defences already – it'll be such a pain in the ass," Seijin grumbled audibly. "Great lot of help that old man Danzou was, too, landing himself in prison."

"That won't make a difference," Konan spoke quietly, her cold, indifferent voice chilling the air. Even though she spoke, their subordinates knew that her voice served as Pein's, too. There was no difference between the two, Konan and Pein were inextricably connected by a bond so deep, to speak of one was to speak of the other. Their opinions and thoughts never differed.

"Oh, we won't be the only ones barging in, it seems," Deidara drawled delightedly from atop his clay bird hovering just behind Itachi in the air. "Seems like Oro-jii hit upon the same idea as us," he pointed northeast. "Sound nins moving in on Konoha. And it looks like our spies are back, too."

Just as he spoke, three figures emerged quickly from the darkness ahead, skidding to a halt on their knees before their master.

"Pein-sama," they chorused reverently, though quietly, heads bowed.

"Rise," Pein's voice did not change. "Where are the jinchuuriki?"

Sayuri answered quickly. "They have been hidden, Pein-sama. We don't know where, but definitely in Konoha itself."

Shiroi didn't know why, but he felt the sudden urge to shut Sayuri up so that she wouldn't reveal the whereabouts of a certain pink-haired kunoichi. Although it wasn't as if Sayuri actually knew where she was.

He knew, though. He'd seen her enter, but for some reason, he had lied to his team about it. Why? He seemed to shy away from anything that spelt immediate danger for the girl.

Why, why? The question kept ringing in his mind, like the endless chime of echoing bells that would not leave him be.

Shiroi steeled himself as he slipped into the ranks of shinobi behind the Akatsuki members. Emotions in a battle were dangerous weapons – against oneself.

N

Sakura dangled the clear glass vial between two fingers before her face as she wrapped her other arm around her knees drawn to her chest. She sat forlornly in one corner of the female sleeping quarters, away from everyone else – the tension in the common room was crushing.

Her emerald eyes were lost in pools of misty white, her mind far away. _'Oji-san… what do you mean by giving me this? What am I supposed to do?'_

Sakura tried to remember her grandfather. Haruno Seian… a weapons shop owner. She had loved him, being his first granddaughter. But why did the good people always have to die? Seian's body had been brought back after he left for a trip out of Konoha. The story was that he had been attacked by robbers, but Sakura didn't believe that, even as a child. Not really. When the Nanabi had explained, she finally understood. Her grandfather had died for a cause.

She would willingly go, if that meant that everyone else would be safe. She had to finish what her clan had started, regardless –

Sakura suddenly sat bolt upright, glass vial clutched tightly in her hand, eyes wide. That memory –

_Seian was dragged along as the little pink-haired bundle of energy skipped enthusiastically down the street, humming._

"_Ah. Haruno," a deep, gravelly voice Seian recognized all too well halted the man in his tracks, and Seian straightened, pulling Sakura to his side protectively. _

"_Good morning, Danzou," he spoke stiffly._

_Sakura looked up at the other man curiously. This 'Danzou' was a strange man, bandaged all over. He looked like a mummy with a tuft of hair._

_The strange man nodded coldly, and walked off. Shocked at his atrocious manners, Sakura stuck a small pink tongue out at his back, glaring as fiercely as she could._

"_Who's that, ji-chan?" she whined._

_Seian smiled serenely, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Just an old friend, Saku-chan…"_

_Sakura wasn't sure if she'd imagined the next part, but as the breeze blew past, she thought she heard her grandfather's undertone._

"_My best friend."_

Sakura bolted to her feet, her fist tightening around the vial. The glass must've been reinforced – surely her strength should have broken it by now?

There was somewhere she needed to go, now. She looked around – the entrance was well-guarded by ANBU – how was she going to get out without alerting others?

If Shikamaru and Neji had made one mistake, it was to allow Sakura to help in the design and construction of the safehouses, purportedly so that she could protect the villagers by knowing where to lead them in a worst-case scenario of being discovered by the enemy. Perhaps it was also deliberate? After all, she knew every possible exit. Perhaps –

Her friends had left a path open for her, if ever she should make the choice. For that, she was greatly thankful.

Quietly composing herself as not to draw attention, the cherry blossom checked her weapons stock and stowed the vial in her weapons' pouch carefully. She was already in full combat gear. Slipping out of the other end of the sleeping chamber, she sneaked past the kitchen area into the wash area, careful to avoid direct contact with anyone.

There was an emergency exit in the form of a hatch, embedded in the darkest corner of the wash area. Lifting the heavy cover easily, Sakura swung her feet over the edge, cast a quick backward glance and dropped through the hatch, pulling the cover back into place.

Outside, the battle had begun.

N

As was expected, Pein sent in the pawns first. The rest of the invading force stayed at the edge of Konoha's forest perimeter, waiting for the first sounds of battle.

They heard nothing.

It was Konoha's home ground after all. Shinobis lay within the shadows, pressed against the trees, stealthier than the invaders. The lowly intruders, with obviously little skill and only burning loyalty to Pein, didn't stand a chance.

Neji watched them fall, detached. It was the easiest way to face death. But he couldn't help wondering: what did these people see in Pein? What created such unwavering loyalty, even in the face of his atrocious deeds with Akatsuki? Did they even _know_?

But what disturbed him most was that Pein felt _nothing_ for them. Unlike Tsunade, whose face paled every time news of Konoha's casualties reached her, Pein felt nothing. He saw nothing of the loyalty and reverence his subordinates had for him. Nothing.

"Neji, heads up," Tenten's familiar voice was a near silent whisper, breathing into his ear. She could always tell when he wasn't focused; even _the_ Hyuuga Neji wasn't infallible. "They're coming."

He squeezed her arm gratefully, with a look that only she understood, before pivoting out from behind the tree, dodging beneath a shaky blade and taking out two opponents with quick hits to vital points. Tenten caught another three, kunais lodged at the bases of their necks. The point was to kill them silently, and not to alert the rest of Pein's army.

Around them, another two hundred enemy shinobi crumpled. Shadows emerged from behind the trees, Neji could see the familiar glint of bloodstained weapons. Just then, a shrill, piercing eagle's call shattered the cold silence, its message perfectly clear: _retreat_.

Brown and opaque eyes widened and met for a fleeting moment – before the Konoha shinobis sped away, back towards the outermost perimeter wall. As they approached, a chakra dome rapidly expanded to encase them all, just before a shockwave of energy combined with a huge explosion shook the earth.

The protective dome itself seemed to falter for a moment.

On instinct, Neji hugged Tenten tightly and dived down, using himself as a shield for her. Both winced, waiting for the impact, but there was nothing. Slowly, they looked up. Clouds of dust and soot billowed just beyond the thin, shimmering layer of chakra surrounding them.

"Dammit," Shikamaru swore audibly as Shizune's chakra dome retracted to protect the inner walls. If Shizune had just been a fraction of a second too late in reacting, half of those shinobi outside Konoha's walls would have been obliterated. As it was, there were already a few casualties. Quickly and silently, several people moved the dead within the protection of the first wall.

Tenten stared at the scene before them disbelievingly. A great expanse of destroyed forest lay, about one kilometer across, with sliced leaves scattered in heaps, trunks ripped apart, charred by the flames of the explosion. The intruding army stood beyond that - Deidara hovered at the forefront of the army, grinning, with more clay bombs at hand. Seijin stood below him, his chakra wings unfurled to their full length, dazzling yet deadly. The combined force of two Akatsuki members alone could have destroyed half of Konoha's forces.

The Konoha shinobis stared in silent mortification, even though it wasn't shown on their faces. But beneath all that, another emotion raged, raring to break to the surface. Tenten found her fists clenching round her drawn Fuuma Shuriken, so tight her knuckles were white. There was only a little more before breaking point.

"Hand over the jinchuuriki," Pein's blunt statement echoed eerily across the silent field. Even though his tone was flat, there was no mistaking the threat behind it. Perhaps it was the aura of unmistakable authority that radiated off him. "Hand them over, and this bloodshed will not be necessary."

From the corner of her eye, Tenten could tell that several of the shinobi were visibly shaken, but stood their ground. Only silence met his words.

"Aww, look at those pathetic little kids defending their friends…" Seijin drawled, his grin mocking. "What are they to you, why bother? They'll die any-"

"Shut the hell up," Sasuke's and Tenten's voices rang out simultaneously, both defending their best friends. Their expressions were deadly, livid, their voices came in snarls.

The brown-haired kunoichi felt it. This was the snapping point. The overwhelming anger burst forth from within her, making her slender frame shake, her chocolate eyes burn. "We'll hand them to you – when hell freezes over!"

The blades of her weapon glinted dangerously, her eyes were filled with absolute hatred.

A moment of silence, as if time were waiting for a different answer to be given.

"That is it?" Pein said tonelessly. A statement, not question. He raised his right hand slowly above his head, beckoning in a simple, forward motion. "Then we begin."

As the first light of day broke across the horizon, both parties charged forward with a loud battle cry, and the chaos began.

N

The dark tunnel was lit, at sparse intervals, by fire torches hung on brackets along the wall. The air smelt damp and musty – stale, even, as if no one had breathed the air inside for a long time.

Sakura made her way along the tunnel carefully, a plan half-formed in her mind.

She would enter the battle, there was no doubt about that. But not yet. First, she needed a few answers.

A heavy bolt-door closed the end of the tunnel. Pausing before it, the cherry blossom took a deep breath and reached into her consciousness, probing and searching for that presence.

"_Nanabi?"_

The phoenix stirred, awakened. _"Ah… little one." _Sakura could somehow sense the beast yawning and stretching within her – a queer feeling, as if her brain was giving her instructions without her body following_. "How are things?"_

"_You tell me,"_ Sakura retorted, flooding her mind with images, memories of events through which the Nanabi had not awakened and witnessed. _"We are waging war."_

"_Very close, then."_ The phoenix sounded thoughtful. _"What are you doing now? I see you've been forbidden to enter the fray, you and the other jinchuuriki. Your heart says otherwise, though."_

"_We will fight,"_ Sakura said stubbornly. The Nanabi seemed to find this amusing, stubbornness seemed to be a bloodline trait of the Harunos. _"But I need to do something first. All you've been doing is sleeping, isn't it?"_ Sakura accused, a little disgruntled.

"_Not sleeping, my dear. Meditating,"_ the Nanabi sighed at her ignorance.

"_Meditating? Whatever for?"_

"_I have to prepare for the resealing ceremony,"_ the phoenix elaborated, with the maddening air of an adult speaking to a child. Sakura contemplated that – while this tailed beast was rather kind, she did have a streak of smugness and self-assurance. It was driving her crazy. _"Subduing eight of my brothers is no small feat, as you may imagine. I need to conserve energy,"_ it added dryly.

"_Well, you could at least have helped the two times I nearly died,"_ Sakura grumbled.

"_Like I said, I was busy. And you didn't ask, anyway."_

Sakura had the feeling that the Nanabi was preening. But then, what did it matter to save this life of hers, if in the end, she would die anyway? The Nanabi only needed her alive for the sealing. Pushing morbid thoughts from her mind, Sakura sighed and faced the door squarely, her shoulders tensed. Raising a hand, she placed it against the door.

"_Stay with me now," _she told the Nanabi.

"_Of course."_

Sakura channeled a burst of chakra into her palm and shoved the door open lightly, breaking the bolt on the other side easily. The door creaked open rather noisily, Grimacing at the grating sounds, Sakura slipped through, forming a complex handseal to disrupt the second layer of kekkai protection just beyond the door.

She was in the prison.

Konoha's prison didn't cater for only common thieves. Shinobis were kept there, too – which meant that the cells had to be strongly reinforced against taijutsu, kijutsu, and the guards equipped with genjutsu nullifiers. All that was in addition to the chakra draining devices attached to the prisoners themselves.

After the claustrophobic tunnels, even the small prison corridors seemed wide. Sakura walked soundlessly, passing the deepest cells, meant for those truly dangerous criminals.

These cells were mostly empty. Sakura proceeded on to the third-ranked cells, moving through the maze with ease - she'd been in here once before with Tsunade on an inspection round. The five-deep cells unnerved her even now; the cold, dark, forbidding place was terrifying. It felt like the walls were going to close in on her any given moment.

Sakura steeled herself. She was here for a reason, and she needed to find out what she wanted to know.

She turned a corner, and entered the fourth-level section. This place was more occupied, several inmates spared her a cursory glance while lying on the floor or slumped in a dark corner. They didn't often get visitors, and this one certainly looked pretty, but most of them had been in here for so long they were delirious. Nobody paid her any attention. There were no wardens – every shinobi who could fight were in battle. Sakura quickened her steps, the low ceiling gave her the feeling of being trapped.

'_There!'_ a voice in her mind shouted triumphantly as she finally spotted the metal plate next to the cell door, bearing the black numbers, 4-05. Cautiously, she looked in.

She could see the stooped figure sitting on the edge of a bare, solitary bunk at the far end of the small cell, and her fists clenched involuntarily in pent-up rage.

Channeling a quick burst of chakra into her hands, the pink-haired kunoichi grasped two steel bars and broke them, bending them outwards and creating an adequately-sized opening for her to climb through fairly easily.

Danzou glanced up quickly as he became aware of the fresh presence in his cell, a hint of surprise flitting across his face. Sakura's crimson uniform was vibrant in the darkness, a sudden burst of blood-colour. She strode forward quickly, feeling her anger build rapidly as she stared at his lined, aged face.

Honestly, Danzou infuriated her. That smooth face, the straight back, the regality in which he conducted himself. How could he betray Konoha, his home, her beloved village; time and again for the sake of his own twisted ideologies?

"Good day, Haruno-chan," the man said quietly, inclining his head in acknowledgement. The time he served in prison had not driven him mad, like most. He retained that formality, that calm, that had seemed to settle in after he realized that he was completely alone in this, with no comrades and no supporters.

Sakura strode forward quickly, and grabbed Danzou by the collar, shaking him hard. Never mind the fact that he was probably sixty years her senior, this wasn't time to be subtle with the cryptic man. She didn't respect him – not that he deserved any.

"_Good day_?" the furious kunoichi hissed, livid. "There's a _war_ going on out there, one that you probably helped bring about!"

Her angry voice roused several other inmates, who turned to look with blank faces, unmoving from their slouched positions in the dark cells. Danzou remained unmoved, but his voice when he spoke, was colder.

"Assume what you will, girl. I believe you are not here simply to scream at me, are you?"

Sakura forced herself to breathe, calm down. This man - !

"You were close friends with my grandfather, weren't you? Tell me about him."

Danzou seemed to relax slightly. "Only in childhood," the man said serenely, as if they were simply having a leisurely cup of tea together. "We had the same ideals then."

Sakura could hear the ammunition going off in the distance. She hoped that Konoha was the one doing all the blasting and not Deidara.

Same ideals? Sakura stayed silent. She couldn't imagine her grandfather, who had always taught her to love and to fight for those whom she loved, could possibly have been Danzou's associate, or as he was implying, his partner in crime.

"You look surprised," Danzou seemed to find this amusing. "Perhaps you, like everyone else, thought Seian to be a good man?"

"He was a good man." Sakura said defensively. She had come here to see if she could glean any information about the substance in the vial, not to hear Danzou insult her grandfather. But how, and what, to ask?

"Perhaps," the man tilted his head slightly to one side, a mild gesture of incredulity. Sakura wanted to punch him. "We were kids, then. Understood nothing about politics," Danzou saved himself by speaking. "We always thought that withdrawing troops and signing peace treaties were simply acts of cowardice… and we spent our childhood years making grand plans to overthrow the Nidaime and establish ourselves as the leaders of Konoha."

The plan was so childishly foolish and outrageous. Sakura opened her mouth to say so, but was cut off by Danzou's next sentence.

"Seian… he was even toying with the idea of immortality, being quite the genius inventor."

Sakura was stunned. Immortality…?

Was that the answer?

"Don't look so stricken. It was just a grand idea. Seian never achieved it," Danzou seemed rather smug. Then, his face fell at a different memory.

"I left for a long mission to Iwagakure. Two years. When I came back, still fired up about our plans, Seian had changed." Danzou snorted derisively. "Great friends with the next Hokage candidate. I was excited, I thought that that was part of the plan to overthrow our leaders, but when I cornered him, Seian told me to 'grow up',"

It struck Sakura that this was probably why Danzou had despised Sarutobi so much, because of the switch in his friend's loyalties. But why was Danzou telling her all this? Was this his repentance, his way of apologizing – by explaining his situation? But she had no time to sympathize.

"The immortality issue?" she pressed urgently.

"Are you trying to make everyone on the battlefield immortal?" Danzou chuckled bitterly. "Like I said, there were no results. Seian only went as far as potions. It was impossible, and forbidden, anyway."

Sakura hardly heard him, a million possibilities running through hermind. Had oji-san eventually found a way? Perhaps –

A sudden, searing pain ripped through her heart, pain so intense that the cherry blossom clutched at her chest and doubled over, gasping in agony.

She somehow knew that she'd lost _someone_.

"_We must go,"_ the Nanabi's voice rang urgently in her mind. _"Akatsuki will want to end this quickly, and my brothers are excited."_

Sakura could barely find her strength to agree, the horrible, despairing feeling still churning within her, clutching her. Just who…?

Danzou was bent over her awkwardly, as if unsure if he ought to help her – or if she even wanted his help at all.

The cherry blossom forced herself upright, brushing away the tears of pain that clouded her vision. She needed to get out there. Right now.

Stumbling towards the opening in the bars, she clambered out, clumsy with fear and worry. As she placed her hands on the bars to bend them back, she halted, and looked squarely at Danzou through eyes brimming with salty tears, trying to compose herself. Why was she doing this? Did she really want to give him a chance, a shot at redeeming himself? After what she had seen and heard from him now, could she really just continue hating him? She could only provide the way. He had to make the choice.

Her voice was shaking. "Make your decision, Danzou. Fight or betray. I'll leave this path open for you."

With that, she fled.

N

Battle was never pleasant, or easy.

Neji dodged the bloody corpse vaulting towards him, taking down another Rain ninja with unerring accuracy – a quick strike to the jugular vein and they would be out for the count. It was less messy this way, Neji disliked seeing blood everywhere. At least this end would be quick, and painless. A quick swipe with his Chakra Enjintou to the heart took out another six of the enemy. And he observed Tenten for a moment, swelling with quiet pride. This kunoichi – she belonged to him.

She was juggling three weapons at once, two Fuuma Shuriken and a pair of tonfas. She could decapitate at least twenty men at one go, flinging the large, powerful shurikens out in a wide arc in opposite directions, leaving them to carve their path of destruction while she tackled those closest to her with the tonfas. Then she'd catch the Fuuma Shuriken spinning back towards her on the tips of her tonfas before sending them out again. It was a brutal and effective cycle created using simple movements – her stance and speed changed ever so frequently, making her dangerously unpredictable.

But the casualties on Konoha's part were heavy. Akatsuki themselves had not yet made a move, merely observing the fervent battle taking place. That worried him. Konoha fought well, but were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the enemy. Everywhere he turned, he could see his comrades falling, but he couldn't help them now.

'The Sound army…' the Hyuuga prodigy mused, his Byakugan cast towards the eastern façade of Konoha's walls. The Uchiha and Mitarashi Anko led the group facing them, a subtle formation already in place, loosely surrounding the Sound army charging in blindly.

Neji's attention was diverted by a rather burly Sound nin flinging daggers at him.

"Kaiten!" He spun into his ultimate defense, maintaining it for only a few seconds to conserve precious energy, Before even halting, he entered smoothly into offensive mode. "Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!"

Small, powerful fireballs incinerated the weapons held by the enemy within range, scalding their hands. They were disposed of easily. The Hyuuga glanced distastefully at the blood spattered everywhere, it disgusted him. This war –

"_NOOOO_!!!" A piercing, terrible scream sliced through the air, the pain in it clearly felt even over the distance. The fighting paused momentarily, frozen. Neji glanced quickly over at Tenten, just to check that she was alright – only to find her horror-stricken eyes meeting his. He didn't need his Byakugan to know who the scream belonged to. But he zoomed in, just in case, past the accumulating bodies, past the tired, bloodied fighters facing off their enemies, past the walls; and there he saw her, a solitary figure hunched on the ground as her body racked with sobs.

At that moment, a soothing wave of coolness washed over him.

N

Sasuke sprinted wildly back towards Konoha's gates, disposing of anyone, _anyone_ at all who dared cross his path. His onyx eyes narrowed in absolute concentration, his slender fingers gripped the hilt of his sword tightly as he pivoted past people fighting their own battles. He sprinted away from the approaching Sound army, away from Anko's voice calling him.

Too many of Konoha's shinobis had fallen, lying in agony, or in death, in the two short hours since the battle had begun. But none of them mattered to him. The single most important thing was the source of the scream, nothing else.

A chillingly familiar presence made Sasuke slow down, ever so slightly, a low growl ripping from his throat. "My, my, Sasuke-kun… you're running a little too fast, aren't you?" that maddening voice hissed close to his ear as a figure landed before him.

Orochimaru's pale face was the same, perhaps a little more clammy, a little more sickly. The snake-like slit eyes, the hissing, low voice – that was the same. Sasuke had nothing to say to him, and let his sword speak his hatred as it clashed with Orochimaru's own.

N

What else could she do but scream?

The first thing she saw when she burst out of the prison gates, into the blinding sun, was the scene unfolding atop the Hokage Tower.

She watched as Tsunade fell. Crumple, with a short wakizashi blade thrust into her heart. She saw the black cloak, the red clouds, the orange spiral mask, the man standing over her mentor. Why couldn't her feet move faster, dammit, _dammit, dammit_!!!

The Akatsuki member vanished. Was this their real objective? Occupy everyone out there, and while Tsunade focused on healing those who required it, to assassinate her? Sakura's feet pounded up the stairs of the Hokage Tower, four at a time, never losing tempo, matching the frantic pace of her beating heart, past the levels of reception rooms and offices until she burst onto the roof and skidded to a halt on her knees, next to the limp form of the once resplendent Godaime.

What to do? Why wouldn't her body obey when her mind screamed 'heal!'? She was vaguely aware of the fact that she was trembling uncontrollably, her hands shook in her lap. She dared not touch Tsunade – the once powerful lady looked so _fragile_.

The cherry blossom's heart stilled as she heard the whisper of words from Tsunade's pale lips. Her right hand weakly formed a single, foreign handseal, and Sakura felt the wave of soothing coolness wash over her.

Tsunade turned her head towards Sakura and slowly rested her hand on Sakura's fist, unable to speak any further. The deep crimson blood spread quickly across her chest, staining the white top and her Hokage cloak, painting a picture of pain and despair. But her hazel eyes smiled, smiled one last time for her student before they slowly slid shut, and she slipped away forever.

And the cherry blossom could only scream.

N

_Haha…. There! Finally, the 36__th__ chapter done! _

_I'm so sorry that Tsunade had to die. But she had to. And there will be more casualties._

_I'm afraid the next update will also be slow, so I apologize beforehand…_

_Hope you liked this chapter! Please tell me what you think! And please don't flame me for killing off a character…_

_You guys rock for being so patient with me!_

_Thanks!  
_

_-Rave-chan-_


	38. Chapter 37: Finale

_Hello everyone!!! This will sound like a rerun, but I'm so sorry for all the procrastination and late updates! I have been very busy with studies and life lately… but I am determined to finish this story, so don't worry, it will be completed! _

_1399 reviews! I'm so happy!!!! Thanks for all the wonderful support and constant encouragement from all of you for me to keep writing this story! _

_I won't keep you from reading anymore – enjoy!_

N

Chapter 37 – Finale

_Scream. Keep screaming._

That was all her mind told her to do. That was all she was capable of doing. She couldn't save others, even after all these years. She couldn't even save the one person who had taught her all she knew about healing. Heal? What a joke.

She screamed until her lungs could take no more, then gasped painfully and screamed again, until she choked, until her world spun in a dizzying vortex and her throat felt like it was on fire, but she still lifted her face to the sky darkened by smoke and soot, and screamed, again and again.

_Just scream. That's all you can do anyway._

N

Katsuyuu was in a fix, watching Sakura's screaming, kneeling there next to Tsunade's body, her hands twisted in her uniform skirt and her face uplifted, as if pleading with the heavens to return her beloved mentor.

It couldn't even feel the emotion of Tsunade's death – right now, it was only a fact.

A fact. Nothing more.

Medical slugs were practical things. They focused on saving the living. And now, it had to stop Sakura's hysteria or she'd drive herself into overload. Katsuyuu scrambled over and draped itself over Sakura's hunched shoulder, wriggling down into the cocoon Sakura had created by hugging herself. Her face was now cast downwards, as if in an acceptance of defeat, but she still screamed, over and over again, rivers of tears cascading down her cheeks.

"Dammit, Sakura, get a grip! What're you trying to do, driving yourself into hysterics?" the slug yelled at her. Ah. Yelling was rare for slugs, too. But never mind that now. Making a quick decision, Katsuyuu bit Sakura directly over her heart and injected a dose of sedative, enough to make her unconscious for awhile. She had to relax.

Slowly, Sakura's voice became fainter as her screams subsided into choking sobs, and her arms, previously hugging her body, fell limply by her sides. In a few moments, she crumpled sideways, silent and unconscious.

At that instant, Katsuyuu spotted a black-cloak-red-clouds figure materializing right next to Sakura, cushioning her fall with his shoulder. He saw the orange spiral mask bending over the pink-haired medic, and could somehow imagine the triumphant expression behind the mask. For the first time in his life, Katsuyuu felt panic.

"Well, thank you, Katsuyuu-san," Tobi's voice was deep, mocking. Perhaps he was smiling, under that damn orange spiral. "You've just made my day." Resting Sakura's head on his shoulder, with one hand around her shoulder and another slipping under her knees, Tobi lifted the slender kunoichi easily, and disappeared over the rooftop railing.

Katsuyuu had just delivered a jinchuuriki right into Akatsuki's hands.

N

In the battlefield, at the same instant, all of Katsuyuu's counterparts received the same memory, the same emotion. The orange spiral mask, the pink-haired girl resting limply in that despicable man's arms, the desperate panic that overwhelmed their minds at the mistake. All of them froze, smack in the middle of battle.

Hinata nearly tripped over Katsuyuu; Tenten barely missed squashing the slug underfoot; Akamaru and Kiba had to kick it out of the path of a particularly vicious Katon attack; Haku had to unfreeze the slug caught up in one of his jutsus; Shizune found it still and silent, not helping to heal the wounded; Shikamaru stared at Katsuyuu, who had halted in the middle of giving a report on the situation on the battlefield, and was now frozen stiff atop the table, next to Shikamaru's map.

The shinobis were startled. Katsuyuu was always reliable on the battlefield, in any situation. It was skilled at adjusting itself to suit the attacks of the team it was with, excellent for conveying messages when it was split into its smaller counterparts, and above all, Katsuyuu was always calm. Always rational. But now…

"What's wrong!" the Konoha shinobis yelled simultaneously as they continued the battle, dodging, attacking, but still worrying. "Katsuyuu, what's wrong?"

Tenten suddenly felt scared, as if she _knew_ what was coming, what Katsuyuu was going to tell them. Her movements slowed as she hesitated, watching the slug intently, afraid. Neji yanked her away from a falling axe by the waist, holding her tightly against him as he fought, trying to rouse her from her stupor. "Tenten! Get a gr-"

He was interrupted by Katsuyuu's voice, a whisper from each counterpart that merged into one louder, yet frozen, voice, that echoed across the battlefield, silencing the sounds of war.

"Tsunade-sama… is dead. Sakura… has been taken."

N

Naruto froze, mid-sprint. He stood motionless before the closed gates of Konoha, his destination after having slipped out of the safehouses moments after Sakura. He hadn't been able to find her. Katsuyuu's collective voice reached him, continuously echoing, ringing in his ears, forcing the fact into his suddenly blank mind.

Obaa-chan… dead.

Sakura… taken.

Was this how he had felt when he'd received news of Gaara being captured by Akatsuki? When the Kazekage had lost his life to the extraction of the Shukaku? This blankness, this fear that threatened to overwhelm him completely?

No, this couldn't compare. This was worse. Unimaginable.

Naruto tried to stop the tears he felt coming, placing a hand over his eyes, only to find that his hands were shaking uncontrollably, from fear or from anger, he couldn't tell.

Sakura… taken.

Taken.

_Gone_.

He lifted his face to the heavens, and howled like a beast towards the moon.

N

Sasuke was struggling against Orochimaru's snakes binding him, unpleasantly reminded of his status during his stay with the snake bastard, which was somewhat like this situation – captured, bound and caged, even though he had gone there on his own free will.

A particularly large rattlesnake had just begun to coil around his neck when Sasuke, like everyone else, caught the echoing whisper spreading through the battlefield. The first sentence merely numbed him.

The second, however…

The Uchiha stopped struggling, his sword arm frozen mid-slash, leaving the snakes to coil around his torso, suffocating him slowly. The rattlesnake was already tightening its hold around his neck. His knuckles were white from gripping his sword so hard, and his face was deathly pale, contorted with fury.

Orochimaru, observing his ex-potential container like a mere curio, cocking his head to a side. "Oh? Tsunade-chan dead? And that little cherry blossom with Akatsuki… how tragic, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke wasn't listening, however. His whole body trembled, focused on that single sentence, as if trying to contain an inevitable, deadly explosion. His chest contorted painfully, it felt like a hand was gripping his heart, threatening to crush it with the pressure of the panic and fear that crashed down on him.

Naruto's anguished howl – it _had_ to be Naruto – filled the momentary silence on the battlefield, and the blonde ninja's unmistakable tall figure leapt up atop the gates of Konoha, in the distance, still howling with heart-wrenching emotion.

As if connected, the agonized shouts from the two boys rose, united despite their distance, in a building crescendo, a lament that pierced the hearts of everyone on the stunned battlefield.

"GIVE HER BACK!!!!"

N

Tenten, Ino and Hinata did not cry, or scream. Even when Sasuke and Naruto roared their anger, their voices thundering across the battlefield, the girls remained still and silent, their eyes wide, fists clenched, trembling with the rage they were so skilled at concealing. Women did not express hatred easily.

Around them, the enemy shinobi began to stir, spirits lifted by the obvious advantage on their end. However, they made the fatal mistake of saying something quite unnecessary.

"We've got the girl!"

"Ha, yeah – you think the higher-ups will let us have the body once they're done with it?"

The man who had spoken, a tall Amegakure shinobi wielding a cutlass and wearing a bandana, found himself soaring across the field, smashing into five of his ken. They toppled like dominoes. Hinata stood, white eyes narrowed, an expression of pure fury etched across her face like no one had ever seen before.

She didn't say a word. The Hyuuga heiress merely sped through the battlefield, taking down her enemies left and right with speed and agility that she had never achieved before, like a whirlwind that offered no chance, no reprieve.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Tenten was simply striding forward, clearing the path before her by forming an impenetrable barrier around herself and Neji, who refused to leave her side – he knew where she was going. Tenten's Soushoryuu dragons spiraled upwards around them, creating the cylindrical shield that protected them while delivering attacks by throwing a barrage of weapons outwards. The weapons' mistress' face was set in absolute determination, unshakable.

In the control center for the chakra dome protecting Konoha, Ino stood with her father, next to a swearing Shikamaru, fists clenched as Katsuyuu's words rang through the hall. She lifted her face to glance at her father, whose brow was creased, but gave her a look that said 'go'. He knew how important this was to her. "Tou-san…" she whispered, her voice shaking. Inoichi put an arm around his daughter, kissing her on the forehead. "Go, Ino. Stay safe."

"I swear I'll come back," the blonde girl whispered, before bending down to kiss Shikamaru lightly on the cheek. The Nara genius was tensed, still. "Come back safe," he said quietly, usually easygoing black eyes now intense. "And tell Sakura I'm going to kill her once she gets back." Ino let out a choked chuckle and squeezed his shoulder, running out of the room.

N

The snakes coiling around Sasuke's torso suddenly exploded in a flurry of shredded meat and blood. His sword had torn through the snakes, cutting even himself, but the Uchiha was past caring. Crushing the rattlesnake strangling him, Sasuke furiously yanked the serpent off and tossed it back at Orochimaru after lopping its head off, before turning and sprinting off towards the visible mass of black cloaks and red clouds.

Orochimaru moved to stop him, but a shock of white hair suddenly materialized before him, blocking his way. Jiraya stood before him, face set, all traces of his playful personality gone. His eyes and the lines on his face seemed to have deepened the moment news of Tsunade's death had reached him, they finally reflected the toll of his age. His expression did not show desire for revenge – he had known that this day would come. He also knew that his death would follow close after Tsunade-chan's – after he had finished this job that should have been finished years ago.

"You're not going anywhere, Orochimaru. Your fight's here, with me."

N

Sakura stirred. The first thought that struck her was that she felt very stiff, and very cold. Squirming, she recognized the rough texture of stone scraping against her bare skin, and winced. Blinking groggily, her body ran a systems check on instinct, trying to remember what she had experienced, what had caused her to blackout.

The cherry blossom felt her heart still as Tsunade's final moments appeared in the forefront of her mind. Her face felt tight and dry from the salty tearstains, a painful reminder of the loss she had experienced. But somehow, Sakura's mind had become somewhat calmer now, more rational. She needed to take care of some matters, the pain had to be locked away for the time being. There would be more deaths to lament for after this war – if she was still alive to mourn them.

Sakura sat up gingerly, looking around. Her hands were bound. The border of Konoha's forest lay to her left, the open ground beyond to her right. Where was Katsuyuu? Surely she had been atop the Hokage Tower previously? Why would the slug have moved her beyond the forest, into enemy terri –

Enemy territory?! She sat upright.

The sounds of battle began to register in her clouded mind – the metallic clang of weapons, the cries of agony, the sickening squelches of weapons tearing through flesh. She herself was sitting on some kind of brownstone platform. Sakura lifted her face upwards to get a better look – a statue?

The statue stood tall, towering above the tree canopy. The moment she caught sight of its grotesque features, Sakura scrambled off the foot of the statue, feeling a shiver run down her spine as she stared up at its face, subconsciously backing away until her back hit the trunk of a tree.

Her knees buckled, still numb from the tranquilizer. Out of the nine eyes across the gruesome face of the beast, seven were open, each with a colour and seemingly, life of its own. Two were shut. Sakura's mind registered the significance at once. Seven for the tailed beasts already captured. Two still shut, awaiting the Nanabi and Kyuubi to give them life.

Sakura shuddered, drawing her knees up to her chest, struggling against the rope binding her, her calmness lost. She had always known, from the moment she first awakened with the Nanabi within her, that she was facing something that was far beyond her control. For someone who was used to being in control of herself, the prospect was frightening. And now, with the statue before her, her pending death seemed so much closer, so much more certain.

It terrified her. She had thought that she was ready to die, if it meant that others could be saved, but she had been so very arrogant about herself. She wasn't ready. She couldn't die. Sakura could see each and every jinchuuriki before her, suspended in mid-air, having their life force ripped away, bit by bit. She could see herself in their place.

"I don't want… I can't…" she whispered, her gaze fixated upon the seven open eyes that seemed to be staring down at her, reminding her of her fate to come. Death. Death. Death. Death.

She was so _scared_.

"You again,"

Sakura jolted and scampered backwards, forgetting that she had her back to the tree, and hit her head hard, instead. Through the wave of dizziness, she could just make out a familiar figure in Akatsuki garb, with dark hair.

"Itachi!" she gasped, automatically reaching for her weapons pouch – only to realize that her hands were immobile, and the pouch was missing. Sakura stared back at him, feeling her body suddenly go cold. Itachi wasn't someone whom she could fight against like this, even with weapons, even with her strength. What she lacked now was the willpower to fight.

Sakura watched as his hand made a single, fluid motion through the air, and winced, anticipating an attack. She slowly opened her eyes as she felt something land on her lap with a metallic clang.

A… _sword_? And a weapons pouch…?

Neither of the items belonged to her. The sword was a simple one, with no frills – a plain black scabbard, a black, cloth-wrapped hilt, a flat black guard. The Uchiha crest was carved into the scabbard.

But… why?

"Do not presume yourself worthy of standing next to my brother," Itachi's voice was level, cold as always. "Not if you are only capable of wallowing in self-pity."

Sakura's eyes widened. Itachi had taken several steps closer to her, and now he bent down to grab hold of her collar, pulling her up to face level. The weapons slipped off her lap and clanged onto the ground.

"You were determined enough to step before Sasuke when I used my Mangekyou Sharingan," Itachi's voice had suddenly turned harsh, spiteful, as his black eyes stared into her green ones. Sakura suddenly felt her hands coming free – Itachi had cut her bonds. What did he mean? Had her rage, her words, her determination during that last encounter changed him? Or was this just a dream?

He threw her down next to the weapons, and for a moment, an unfathomable expression flashed across his features. Hate… and regret…? "You are fortunate enough to have a choice. Find that determination of yours and use it."

Itachi turned to walk away. "Go. Tobi will be looking for you soon. You won't survive an encounter with him."

Sakura gazed up at his back, her eyes still uncertain. "Aren't you afraid of dying?" she whispered. "Aren't you afraid, knowing your brother is after your blood?"

He paused, but did not look at her. It was several moments before he spoke.

"It is easier to die than it is to live with the guilt of letting others die."

N

Sakura was still sitting there, staring after Itachi when he disappeared into the trees. What had just occurred? Had a member of the enemy just freed her, and told her to get her butt out there and fight? And was that man the guy she had gone on a rampage to kill?

"_What the hell are you __**doing**__?" _the Nanabi's voice rang out sharply in her mindscape. "_Get the hell out of here!"_

"_What am I supposed to do?"_ Sakura demanded, still rather confused. Her hands clasped the weapons Itachi had left her.

"_Well, for a start, get your ass off the ground before Tobi comes looking for you! Don't you recognize a miracle when you see one?_" the Nanabi hissed at her. _"Uchiha Itachi just handed you weapons and basically told you to join the battle!"_

"_Tobi… captured me?" _

"_Yes,_" Nanabi hissed, her tone obviously one of dissatisfaction. _"Idiot you had to go scream yourself into hysterics, and that idiot Katsuyuu had to inject you with tranquilizer, and Tobi had the god-given opportunity to whisk you right out of Konoha just like that! You were lucky enough to have Tobi leave Itachi alone to guard you."_

"Oh gods," Sakura whispered to herself, kicking herself for being so unreliable. She felt sick to the core, knowing that death was so close, but she couldn't wallow in self-pity now. And she had to _do_ something, whatever it was, or this feeling was going to consume her completely. She didn't want to feel this rotten before she had to die. She wanted to see everyone she loved, if only just for a glance before she left them behind.

Sakura forced her numbed muscles to work, and stood up, slowly and gingerly, using the tree as her support. Lifting her eyes to look at the face of the statue towering above her, she suppressed a shudder, and gripped the weapons tightly, as if they were amulets to protect her from this horror.

"_What do I need to do?"_

"_Break that ugly thing,"_ the Nanabi grumbled. "_Why do you humans always have to assume that we look like monsters?"_

"_We generally assume that anything that wreaks destruction is a monster, and a monster is generally assumed to be ugly,"_ Sakura found a little of her dry humour back in her, it was slightly reassuring.

"_Well, whatever. Break it. It's acting as a seal to suppress my brothers, and it would normally be impossible to destroy, but with your strength…"_

"_The scrolls are not with me,"_ Sakura had a sudden, despairing realization_. "I don't know if it's with Neji or Shikamaru!"_

"_Find it, then!"_ the Nanabi sounded irritated. _"Hurry up!"_

This was one seriously bossy bijuu, Sakura mused to herself. What had happened to that calming presence during the initial stages of their relationship? Had the Nanabi treated her so well because she needed Sakura to be a willing sacrifice?

Sakura shook her head to rid herself of the thought. It was useless to consider such things now. Closing her eyes, she shoved out morbid thoughts of death and destruction, and focused on organizing her priorities. This was like any other mission… she had her objectives, and her only concern was to achieve them.

_Get out of here._

_Find the scrolls._

_Break the statue._

_Seal the bijuu._

_And die._

The cherry blossom strapped the weapon pouch to her thigh, slid the sword through her belt, and taking a single, deep breath, darted off through the trees.

N

"Useless, Itachi," Tobi chuckled from his perch atop a tree facing the battlefield, tossing a weapons pouch in his hand. Sakura's weapons pouch. "So soft. But then, Sasuke was always your weak point. You seem to have extended your sympathies to his girlfriend, too…"

The voice behind the spiral mask laughed, amused by his own monologue, then sighed lightly. "But what a way to reverse my lucky catch, Uchiha… the girl was in a perfect emotional breakdown - took me a spot of trouble to sneak in and kill Tsunade-chan too… you will pay for this later."

Tobi slid off the branch, allowing himself a freefall downwards. The branches never touched him, and he landed perfectly, catching the pouch he'd been playing with easily. He grinned, slipping it into his cloak.

"Now, to recapture my little cherry blossom."

N

Neji. She had to find him first. Shikamaru would be within Konoha's walls, strategizing. Neji was the warrior. Sakura hoped fervently that Neji had the scrolls with him, or all was lost. She did not doubt, for a single moment, that Tobi would find her before she ever managed to get back within Konoha's walls.

Sakura let her senses roam, searching for Neji's familiar chakra patterns. Once she had locked upon it, she darted quickly out of the trees and into the fray, her sword out in a flash. She cleared her path quickly and efficiently, keeping low as not to stand out too much. Her pink hair did enough of that already.

It happened too quickly for her to register it. One moment, she was tearing through blood and flesh, trying not to think about the lives lost and about how soon she will be among the dead; the next, she was out of the fray, inhaling mercifully, comparatively fresher air not so contaminated by the metallic stench of blood.

Sakura had barely managed to pull herself upright when she felt it. The crushing pressure of killing intent surrounding her completely, hammering into her, threatening to bring her down with just fear and raw power. She stiffened, bolt upright, emerald eyes zeroing in on the all-too-recognizable face bearing down on her. She had almost forgotten about him.

'_Pein!' _

The thought screamed through her mind, but her reaction was too slow.

N

They all saw Pein before they saw her. The six doppelgangers, all part of him yet separate, had suddenly moved in the same direction, the overwhelming strength of their chakra stunning all in the vicinity, forcing them to turn and locate the source of danger, an instinctive move of self-preservation.

Sasuke felt his heart clench agonizingly when he caught sight of Pein's six doppelgangers surrounding the pink-haired kunoichi. One had broken the circle, leaning in, clearly intent on striking the frozen girl. His lips moved but all that came out was a strangled cry, just like when he had seen his parents' corpses lying across the living room floor.

Soundless. Pain that could not be conveyed.

Tenten could sense it. Sakura's fear. Having been the one who'd lived with the girl ever since her parents' deaths, having been the one who helped her stand up again, Tenten was somehow connected to the cherry blossom, and she could feel what Sakura felt when they were close enough. But right now, she was not close enough to help. Gritting her teeth, Tenten forced more chakra into Soushoryuu, despite Neji's cautioning hand on her shoulder. She forced the tornado surrounding her to expand more, to clear her path faster, before breaking into a sprint, Neji close behind her, resigned to her determination.

Still, she was not close enough.

Naruto was almost there, his long strides taking him in leaps and bounds across the bloody battlefield. He did not bother to fight – he merely dodged and pummeled his way through. He had just ducked under a particularly nasty-looking curved sword when he caught sight Pein, all six of them surrounding Sakura on open ground. It was as if the entire battlefield had backed off, instinctively moving away from the raw power radiating from their mere presence, leaving them with a wide berth, crowding the edge of the circle, jostling to get away. He pummeled through the mass of scrambling people, but it seemed to be an endless task.

No one could reach Sakura in time. No one would save her.

N

'_Move it! __**MOVE**__, DAMMIT!'_

What was wrong? This was nothing. She could avoid it in a split second – she was a kunoichi, for God's sake. So why was she standing here, frozen, waiting for the tip of the kunai to tear out her heart? What held her here? Was it the despair that overflowed under the influence of Pein's powerful chakra? Was it fear?

"NO!" she let out a desperate scream as a sudden distortion in her vision caused her to lose sight of Pein. It was basic shinobi knowledge. Losing sight of an enemy meant that she had lost, she had failed to match his speed, and therefore her fate was sealed –

A sickening crunch rang loud in Sakura's ears, forcing her to open her eyes. With a jolt, she realized that the crushing force of Pein's chakra had decreased significantly – she could move. Was it over? It took Sakura several seconds to realize that she was unharmed.

Her protector crumpled to the ground as Pein withdrew his bloody right hand, expressionless. The only indication of his emotions was the scowl on his lips as he hissed at the shuddering figure. "You fool." The words seemed to be almost echoed by his other five doppelgangers, a collective expression of cold displeasure.

All six were almost immediately distracted by Konoha shinobis who pummeled right into them, Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi simultaneously attacking the doppelganger with the bloodied hand, Tenten, Neji, Ino, Hinata, Asuma, Genma, Kurenai, Sai among others taking their pick with the rest. Sakura was left in a whirlwind of motion, overwhelmed by gratitude and worry for her defenders. She fell to her knees next to the shuddering form of the man who had taken the blow for her.

"Shiroi!" the cherry blossom gasped as she recognized, with mixed relief, guilt and horror, the man crumpled before her. Relief that it wasn't any of her comrades. Guilt that she could actually feel relief when someone was hurt so badly because of her. Horror – Pein's attack had taken out his whole right lung, a bloody hole gaped before her. White blood. Pein was immune to its effects.

His body convulsed in shudders from the excruciating pain, but his silver eyes as he turned to look at her, were strangely calm. Like he had found a sort of tranquility that he had never discovered, his eyes seemed to shine with the life that they used to lack.

"Why?" Sakura whispered, fists clenched so tightly her knuckles were paper-white. "I'm – I'm your _enemy_."

Shiroi let out a gurgling chuckle. Sakura felt hot tears trickling down her cheeks as blood trickled out from the corner of his lips. He spoke haltingly, his voice a faint, ragged whisper. "That… didn't matter… when you healed… me," Shiroi looked her in the eye, conveying through the connection what his voice, choked with blood, could not express. "Even… tho… I… kill… your… friends… furious… you de…fended your… choice…"

He gasped for breath, the exertion draining what little energy he had left. Yet Shiroi forged on, doggedly determined to get his words across. "I… you… defended… _me_…"

It never occurred to Sakura to ask how he knew that she had argued with her team for him. She had not done it specifically for him, she had been simply defending her professionalism, yet it had meant so much to him – so much that he had been willing to sacrifice himself for her.

Sakura felt like she had somehow betrayed him unknowingly. "The… white blood?" she raised a glowing hand, attempting to heal.

"Disease," Shiroi breathed as his gloved hand grasped her wrist to stop her from healing the wound. "Abandoned… Pein…sama… took me in. Taught me… became his… personal… messenger… assassin."

Sakura swallowed. How did Pein inspire this sort of blind loyalty, when he did not respect his subordinates himself? Was it desperation? Gratitude, that he had pulled them out of an abyss, even if it was for his own ends? "And you followed? Pein doesn't see you for who you are – he – "

The hand grasping her wrist tightened, in defense of his master. "But still – still…" Shiroi breathed. He could not continue, and struggled to hold back a cough.

"_Stop questioning him, Sakura,"_ The Nanabi warned suddenly. _"There is no answer to such a question, you know that."_

'_What? But I want to know-' _

"_You didn't want to be questioned when people asked you why you still held faith in the Uchiha."_

Sakura fell silent.

"_Don't assume that things are always as they are. Who are __**you**__, a relatively sheltered and loved girl, to judge his choices? You have never led the life that he led. Never felt the desperation he felt, the need to be accepted. With that kind of condition, he probably gave up on being loved, and resigned to being accepted. Pein gave him that acceptance, work to do, a place to belong. It didn't matter if he wasn't viewed as a human being – he probably had never been seen as one. He had a place to belong. Don't judge him. You cannot understand."_

Sakura felt a pang of indignance at being told off in such a blunt manner, but she'd dealt with this before. It felt like she was being lectured by Tsunade-sama all over again. Tsunade… Tsunade… would he feel as she had, if Pein were to lose his life?

"You don't have to answer," Sakura cancelled her previous query, gently extracting her wrist from his tightening grasp. His life was slipping away, yet he was spending his remaining energy defending his master. She watched him, her eyes brimming with tears. "I suppose everyone has reasons for their choices. But I just – just can't stand watching people dying for my sake. Even if it's you, the enemy. It _hurts_."

Shiroi lay still, his head tilted towards her, silver eyes fixed on her tears. Nobody had ever cried for him before. Nobody cried in Amegakure. The rain did enough of that already. He didn't know what to do, or what to say. Yet it felt right to smile. Just smile. His muscles had almost forgotten how pleasant that upward twist of the lips felt, his pain seemed to vanish. Smile.

"Oh God," Sakura sniffed hard, rubbing away her tears. "Ignore me. Just – _thank you_," she whispered fervently, her hands finding his gloved ones, clasping them. "Thank you."

He was still smiling, as his breath slowed. "A… life for… a… life… thank… _you_."

N

His face was a picture of contentment in death, just like Tsunade's. It was as if they thought that all they had done, what they had died for, was worth it. Like they knew that it was their time, that they had done all they could. Sakura wondered if she would die like that, too.

She stood, steeling herself, forcing herself to be steady. The exchange between Shiroi and herself had miraculously occurred undisturbed in the midst of battle, and Sakura now found herself surrounded by friends battling some of Akatsuki's most powerful. Something in her heart clenched again, fear for her friends, despair that they were doing this for her. But her encounter with Shiroi had left her a little calmer, a little wiser. They had made a choice. She could not interfere.

"Neji!" Sakura shouted, swiftly sprinting to where he stood, challenging one of Pein's doppelgangers, hoping against hope that he had what she needed. The Hyuuga flung the item out to her smoothly, his stance and attack never once interrupted by the movement. Sakura caught it, almost surprised that it was all so easy.

"_Get moving! Tobi's coming!"_ the Nanabi disrupted her moment of surprise, jolting her to her senses. Sakura forcefully quelled the fear that rose up her throat in a whimper, turning, trying to ascertain her bearings, trying to relocate the statue.

'_There!'_ Instinct shouted at her, and she whirled, her legs carrying her forward, dodging under the battles, clashing weapons, finding hands reaching out to grab her, then hindered by attacks that were undoubtedly her friends'. She could not fail them. She had to keep moving.

Sakura crashed through the undergrowth, her heartbeat accelerated beyond what she could have imagined possible. It was as if she was having her last bout of exhilaration before death, the same kind of exhilaration she felt during missions, in dangerous situations. She ran full-tilt, with the impatient gait of one who knew that they were so close to their goal – she knew that it was all going to end, this uncertainty, this fear. It was going to end very soon. She just had to get there.

"_Listen carefully. We don't have much time. Tobi's closing in, he might already be there. Listen. I'll tell you the seal combination. When you get to the statue, activate the scroll with the seals, then immediately – immediately, you hear me? Smash the damn statue. Smash it to dust if you can, preferably, it's so hideous-"_

'_Just get on with it, will you?'_ Sakura snapped, impatient. _'I really don't care how hideous the statue is, just give me the damn combination!'_

She was ten yards away from the looming statue. A flash of orange at the corner of her eye sent adrenaline surging through her veins and she pushed herself to run faster, knowing that Tobi would get there before her, but still trying. Another flash, this time yellow. Sakura didn't have to look to know that it was Naruto.

"_Listen!"_

'_Listening, dammit!'_

"_Dragon, Boar, Rabbit, Rooster, Ox, Dragon. Got it? Dragon Board, Rabbit Rooster, Ox, Dragon."_

'_Dragon, Boar, Rabbit – '_

Tobi's masked face sprung up before her, and Sakura lost concentration, almost toppling backwards to avoid him as his hand reached out to grab her. He never made it. Before she registered it, Tobi had tripped sideways as Naruto pummeled into him again, shoving the Akatsuki leader out of her path. No time for relief. No time for thank yous.

"GO, SAKURA!" Naruto shouted as he spun around to block Tobi from stopping her, swearing and darting off as Tobi disappeared.

_Dragon. Boar. Rabbit. Rooster. Ox. Dragon._

Sakura didn't waste her time dwelling on her lucky escape. She'd wasted enough time dwelling on fate lately. She only had to move forward now, keep going. Her path was cleared, her thoughts were cleared. She just had to do it.

_Dragon. Boar. Rabbit. Rooster. Ox. Dragon._

Two yards away from the statue. Sakura kicked off the ground, propelling herself upward to dart up the statue, leaping swiftly to the top, landing on the rough stone surface lightly, clutching the scroll tightly in her hand. She could feel the menacing presence behind her, a presence tainted by desperation, and knew that Tobi was catching up to her. No matter. Naruto was right behind him. Focus.

"_NOW!"_ the Nanabi screamed in her mind, her echoing voice painfully high-pitched and urgent.

Now. Her hands shifted, mechanically.

_Dragon. Boar. Rabbit. Rooster. Ox. Dragon._

Sakura flung the scroll out, high into the air, glimpsing the complicated runes unfurling in an epic moment as the scroll began to glow. Her free hand now shifted, prepared to execute the long familiar punch of pure strength that her mentor and left to her, imbibed into her as her second nature. She loved the feeling of power it gave her, the invincibility it offered. She was no longer crying, weak Sakura who brought Team 7 down when she wielded this punch. She was Sakura, Tsunade's apprentice. Proud kunoichi and member of Team 7.

The warm glow of chakra flowed comfortably down her arms, subtly at first, then gathering momentum, gathering pressure in the heart of her clenched fist. Clench it loosely, Tsunade-sama used to say. Let your power fill your fist, let it expand. Then let it flow. The most powerful punch is a subtle flow of chakra, contained in the right places – even if it's in just one finger. Let it seep into every pore of the object you want to break. Release it, and it'll shatter into a million pieces.

She could sense Tobi again, coming up behind her, but that didn't alarm her anymore. Ironically, she'd been desperately escaping from him just moments ago. It didn't matter, really, what he did to her now.

Her arm drew backwards, poised to strike downwards, straight into the core of the statue. The cherry blossom kept her eyes wide open, ensuring that even as her fist made contact with the harsh stone that crumbled into insignificance; even as a strangled cry filled her ears and a cold sensation pierced her chest from behind, a smile remained on her face and her eyes remained fixed on Konoha – her friends, her heart – her home.

N

Sasuke whirled away from Pein's barrage of punches, dodging under the swiping fist narrowly and lashing out swiftly, his sword tingling with electricity, in counterattack before regaining his balance several yards away. As he straightened, the Uchiha stiffened, finding himself face-to-face with someone he'd been wanting, yet dreading to meet for the longest time. He cast a quick glance backward – Kakashi was now facing Pein alone. He muttered a quick apology, knowing that Kakashi knew how important this was to him. That, or Kakashi would be indignant that Sasuke had had the nerve to assume that _the_ Hatake Kakashi actually needed assistance in battle.

He almost laughed at himself. Since when had he been able to think in terms of humour? He really had changed since his genin days. Really. Smiling to himself, Sasuke lifted his face to look straight into Itachi's perpetually red eyes – eyes that he now somehow understood, were a curse upon his brother.

Sasuke was surprised at how wonderfully calm he felt. There was no rage that clawed at his heart, no rushing blood that blinded his sight to everything else. No burning desire to rip Itachi's throat out, no desperate yearning for revenge. Nothing.

How ironic, Sasuke mused. To waste all his life chasing after one person he never truly wanted to kill. Since when had he realized that? Perhaps witnessing Sakura's spell of blind, uncontrolled rage after Itachi's Mangekyou had traumatized her had shown him just how destructive desire for revenge could be. Sakura had completely lost herself, willing to turn on anyone who got in her way, even her closest friends. Sasuke had been chilled to the bone at that very moment, when he realized how revenge could twist the avenger's personality into that of a complete demon, when he saw his own hatred and emptiness mirrored in Sakura's eyes – eyes that were supposed to hold joy. It had terrified him. He had understood something that he couldn't quite describe at that very moment – but now, facing Itachi, he also understood what Kakashi had meant about 'being ready' for this. He was ready to face these ghosts that had haunted him for years – face them with a steady heart and not one of turmoil.

"Nii-san,"

Itachi's eyes widened as the long-abandoned honorific reached him across the battlefield. His surprise gave way to a much softer expression – the half-smile that Sasuke had so loved as a child.

"You understand," the Akatsuki member said quietly, the smile never leaving his face as he closed his eyes. He would have given anything to be able to explain the circumstances of the Uchiha massacre, to tell his younger brother that a single sacrifice on his part – the sacrifice of his pride, reputation and family – had been the best way to save Konoha from betrayal, and the Uchiha clan from humiliation. He would never be able to completely explain his reasons now, but at least he knew that Sasuke was ready to know the truth. This was where his journey of solitude ended.

Sasuke was startled when Itachi disappeared and reappeared two feet away from him, his hands grasping Sasuke's sword arm. Before he even registered it, Itachi had maneuvered Sasuke's arm and driven the sword through his own heart.

"What…" Sasuke whispered hoarsely, staring disbelievingly at his arm at the hilt of the sword piercing his brother's chest, lifting his eyes slowly to meet his brother's.

"You have killed me," Itachi's voice was dry, his body shuddered, but his words were unwavering. "You have achieved your goal, Sasuke… it's okay… to go home… and find your own happiness… look… in my drawers… and find… your answers," the elder Uchiha breathed, heaving the bloody sword out of his body before slumping to his knees at Sasuke's feet, his life draining away quickly in the pool of blood that gathered around him.

Sasuke was frozen, but Itachi's last words drifted up to him on a strangely warm breeze, a breeze that seemed to promise an ending, and a new beginning. His heart clenched, and tears fell.

"Love… you…"

N

The battlefield was driven into silence once again as a piercing cry filled the air, overpowered by the following loud rumble of crumbling stone and dust that disoriented the shinobi. The rumble was succeeded by a terrifying collection of inhuman roars that shook the ground and sent a jolt of terror coursing through every shinobi who had lived through the last war with the tailed beasts. Shinobi began backing off, terrified, scrambling away in a stampede in vain hopes that they might be safe from the unleashing of all nine monsters in full power. The Konoha shinobi and Akatsuki members stood their ground, though they had stopped fighting, squinting through the dust, wondering, fearing.

The dust cleared in the silence. They caught a glimpse of Tobi's orange mask, his hand reaching out for a floating object that burst into flames before his fingertips even grazed it. He let out a scream of frustration that broke the stillness.

But Konoha's shinobi saw only two things, blind to the rest of the world.

Naruto, crumpled motionless at the edge of the rubble of the statue.

Sakura, curled on her side atop the pile of rubble, a short sword struck through her heart.

N

_Hahaha…. How's that??? _

_To understand what Itachi meant about sacrifice, betrayal and humiliation of the Uchiha family, you need to have read the manga. I'm sorry I can't explain now, but if you are confused, please ask and I'll explain._

_Once again, I apologize for the lateness and I thank all of you for staying with me all this time!!!_

_There will be one more chapter and an epilogue after this. Bear with me! _

_Please review, all comments are appreciated!_

_-Rave-chan-_


	39. Chapter 38: Revelations and Resolutions

_When people get hurt, they learn to hate. _

_When people hurt, they learn about guilt._

_But knowing that pain allows people to be kind. _

_Knowing that pain allows people to grow._

N

Chapter 38 – Of Revelations and Resolutions

The silence dragged on, all eyes fixed upon the two motionless figures sprawled on the ground, with the other trembling figure standing between them, fists clenched. No one needed to see the expression under the orange mask to know that he was furious.

The scroll had been incinerated the moment Sakura had completed the sealing ritual, probably her final effort at ensuring that Tobi never got hold of it. '_That little pink-haired bitch!'_

All these years of effort, forming Akatsuki, targeting and capturing the jinchuuriki, extracting the bijuu! All that effort, accumulated in the statue, the ultimate proof of the power he wielded, completely destroyed by a measly kunoichi in the matter of several seconds?

"Kill them," his voice, soft yet dangerous and strangely amplified, filled the battleground. "Kill them all."

The entire world seemed to wait with bated breaths, waiting for some sort of response, some sort of recognition of those words. Somehow, they all knew that it would end with this. One decision. To obey or to defy those two words, that one command.

Tobi, seemingly completely unaware of his surroundings, bent and pulled the sword roughly out of Sakura's torso, tossing it away and grabbing the dead girl by the collar of her blouse, lifting her up like one would a dog by the scruff of its neck, radiating hatred. For destroying his dream, he would not let her rest, even in death. He would ensure that not a shred of her physical being remained in his sight when he was done with her.

Something else shifted at that instant. A blur of movement, and Sakura's limp body was out of Tobi's grasp.

"_Don't touch her_!" Sasuke snarled, cradling her tightly against his torso, trembling violently – with rage or with despair, he could not tell. Sakura was still, so still, but her body was warm. Warm with the memory of life, but life was undeniably gone. It was like a cruel joke, to be able to feel her in his arms, yet knowing that she would never wake, that this warmth was just an illusion. His heart was tearing, ripping itself apart, the blood pounding through his body, threatening to wash away what little sanity or clarity of mind he had left, to replace it with the crimson hues of hatred yet again. It was so easy to fall back into the abyss after struggling out of it.

'_Get a grip. Saku- she didn't pull you out to have you fall back into that stupid hole, get a grip, get a grip — dammit, get a grip!'_ he couldn't even bear to think of her name, curling his body over hers, holding her close, his sword rattling with his contained emotions as he fought the rising thirst for revenge, revenge on the man who had brought about the deaths of the three people so important to him.

Konoha's shinobis shifted, too – moving towards their two lifeless friends, closing in on Tobi. Hinata was next to Naruto in a moment, the rest of the Rookie Nine, Neji, Tenten, Lee, the Chuunins, the Jounins following after. They formed a rough barrier surrounding their dead comrades, daring anyone to come close, to sully the sacrifice Sakura and Naruto had made.

Tobi's seething fury seemed to have amplified with this act of defiance. "_I said kill them_."

Still none of the enemy moved. Something had changed in the rhythm of the battle, something that warned them of the turning tides. Something had touched them, perhaps a reminder that power wasn't everything – not when two people had willingly given their lives to forsake power that could very well destroy the world. Their aim in the battle had been clear-cut when it had all begun – scrolls, jinchuuriki, bijuu. Destroy and capture. When the aim vanished, so had the point of the battle – humans are, after all, fickle. There wasn't any sense, it seemed, to stick one's neck out when there was nothing of considerable merit to gain.

"KILL THEM!"

His voice reverberated, echoed, then drowned in silence.

"This farce is over, Tobi," an empty voice reached him, and heads shifted to locate the source, the first person to have dared cross the furious man. Pein stood some distance away, his doppelgangers behind him, their fights having been abandoned by the Konoha shinobis. Konan was next to him, a white paper-dove floating gently by her shoulder. That seemed to say something about their current stand. Pein continued as Tobi's masked face lifted slowly to face him. "There is nothing left for us to gain. Amegakure will fight no more."

"You would leave…?" Tobi's voice seemed to mock, bitterly. "After all these years of sacrifice…"

"All our lives have been spent in sacrifice," Konan's gentler, almost-empty voice floated through the air like her paper-dove. "Of loved ones, of friends, of homes, of families. Sacrifice. We learn from our history. It is better by far to stop sacrificing precious lives for something that means nothing, than to stubbornly hang on to shreds of pride, reminders of sacrifices that will destroy us." Her pale, porcelain face was expressionless, like Pein's; but her eyes spoke volumes. "There will be no winner in this war. There is no winner in any war. We are tired of dreaming, chasing after the 'dawn' that you named Akatsuki for. We fight no more."

They never moved, but strangely, the two quietest, low-keyed Akatsuki members seemed to be drifting away – or rather, their presence seemed to be fading. When they did turn, and walk away, no one stopped them. The Amegakure shinobi followed without question, without protest. Only Neji and Kakashi caught the barely noticeable glances that Pein and Konan cast towards the two jinchuuriki who had given their lives up in hopes that peace could be brought to this tumultuous world of never-ending hatred, power and war. There was something different in their faces then, traces of faraway memories, of acceptance. As if they had accepted Naruto and Sakura's idea of peace, their determination that by trying, continuously trying, the world, would, perhaps, have peace once again.

"Sacrifice… Konan, those two… were just like Yahiko… right?" a quiet murmur escaped Pein's lips, as he strode ahead of the group.

She glanced at him, a hint of a smile adorning her lips, a smile that had not been seen for years. "Yes, Nagato. Exactly like him. Maybe it's time we believed, too."

N

She was drifting again. She didn't know why, but she seemed to be drifting a lot lately. Drifting in her decisions, drifting in her emotions. The only time she felt solidly assured that she was doing the right thing, was at the moment when she had smashed that statue. Even when she'd felt the cold metal in her flesh, felt the burst of pain, she had been sure. But what about now? Was she drifting, even in death?

Sakura became uncomfortably aware of bright, white light that hurt her eyes, even though she was pretty sure they were closed. Raising a hand to her face, she shielded her eyes as she strained them open, blinking rather painfully.

She didn't know what she expected to see, but it certainly wasn't the wonderfully blue sky dotted with white clouds – hadn't Konoha's skies been tainted by the fires of battle? Seven small faces seemed to be bent over her, curious.

"Ugh…" she rubbed her eyes, certain that it was some sort of illusion, some sort of mirage in her delusion. Had sealing up the bijuu consumed her sanity completely?

Nope. That didn't work. They were still there. And she could hear them chattering now.

"Pink hair, look!" the girl-child with jet-black hair and what seemed like cat ears reached out and tugged lightly at a lock of her hair, green eyes deeper than hers full of curiosity. A variety of children adorned with assorted animal characteristics surrounded her, staring with similar curiosity.

"Warm…" another little boy was snuggled by her right side, his head pillowed on her abdomen. That was the one she had not seen when she'd first opened her eyes. Sakura thought she could see monkey ears standing up amidst tufts of soft brown hair, a long, curled tail swishing against her leg.

"The lady's staring at us, Na-chan," a small boy with tanuki ears, bent directly over her face, seemed to be talking to someone else, someone she could not see. Who? "Why don't she talk? She's not sleeping, right? Her eyes are open."

"I like her, Na-chan," another voice piped up, this time from her left. Sakura identified another boy with orange hair, strangely familiar, with unmistakable orange fox ears twitching in excitement and a fox tail swishing. "She's pretty. Can I ask her to be my girlfriend?"

"It's too early for you to have a girlfriend, Kyubi. Don't overwhelm the guest, shoo!" a firm voice reprimanded the children, and their attention was immediately diverted as they clamored off in another direction, continually jabbering on excitedly. The little boy utilizing Sakura as a pillow leapt up and joined them.

Sakura forced herself to sit up, wincing in preparation for the pain that never came. She looked down in surprise – hadn't she been covered in wounds? And surely, surely she'd felt something pierce her chest–

"Physical wounds do not exist here, Sakura-san." The kunoichi glanced up. A tall figure stood before her, simply clad in a pastel-coloured kimono, the children clinging to her. She seemed neither young nor old, but more… _ageless_. Sakura would not have described her to be absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful, but there was something about her - a sort of regality, calmness – well-defined features – an air of self-possession and self-assurance that made her handsome to look upon, features that reminded Sakura strongly of her own mother. She did not need to look at the silvery phoenix hair ornament that held the waves of golden hair up to know who she was.

"Nanabi…?"

"Well, I don't have seven tails now, but yes, that would be me," the humanized version of the Nanabi laughed, her voice surprisingly low, yet it was a wave of melody that seemed to lift Sakura's spirits. Everything was so real, yet unreal, here. Now that she thought about it, she had not questioned the normalcy of children having animal attributes when she first awoke. Drifting… she was drifting again. The Nanabi's face was beginning to swim in and out of focus, it was confusing.

But this had to be real. Sakura felt the Nanabi's hand, firm upon her shoulder, weighing her down, stopping her from drifting – up and away, perhaps. Into that infinitely blue sky… _No. Stay here. But there's nothing weighing me down anymore. The Nanabi isn't real. I should just go…_

"Sakura."

The melodious voice again, now stronger, firmer, as was the hand on her shoulder. "We have brought you here, but there is only so much we can do. Only you can take control of your own path now. Hold on. Remember who you are, and what you still want to do. Remember."

_Remember_. What did she still want to do? Suddenly, inexplicably, tears were running down her cheeks in torrents, and a sob broke forth, a harsh sound breaking through the ethereal feeling of drifting, bringing her back into reality. Whatever reality this was, anyway. What did she still want to do?

"I want… to live," Sakura whispered, motionless, crying. "I want… to go _home_."

_Tsunade-sama. Kakashi-sensei. Ino. Kiba. Sai. Hinata. Akamaru. Konoha. Ramen. Missions. Laughter. Katsuyuu. Shizune. Neji. Shikamaru. Tenten. Naruto. __**Sasuke**__._

_I want to go home._

Small hands were clasping at her blouse, her arm, reaching up to pat her hair. Through her tears, the kunoichi saw the children clamouring around her, small faces scrunched up in worry.

"Nee-chan, why is the lady crying? Did I say something bad?" the boy with fox ears asked anxiously.

"No, Kyuubi," the Nanabi comforted the child, another hand still firmly placed on Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura-san needs to cry, so she is crying, okay? Just keep holding her hand."

The child nodded furiously and took Sakura's hand with such conviction and determination that she had to laugh, a choked sound through her sobs.

"Nanabi… where am I?" Sakura asked once she had regained some form of composure. She had just caught sight of Naruto's shock of bright blonde hair, lying some distance away, his face relaxed in peaceful slumber. He was here, too? How? And why was he sleeping, while she was awake? There were so many questions running through her mind, she hardly knew where to start.

"Our home," she replied serenely, seating herself on the grass next to Sakura, the children still surrounding them, occupying themselves with plucking on the grass or making daisy chains. The tanuki boy was the one now lying with his head in Sakura's lap, staring up at the sky, the monkey boy having decided that he preferred the Nanabi's lap. "This is another… dimension, you could say. The place where we lived, before the door between our worlds opened and people in your world derived ways to drag us into their battles… we have not been home in many years. They are happy," she gestured towards the children.

"The bijuu… are only children? That is… difficult… to accept," Sakura said slowly, stroking the tanuki boy's hair. He seemed to like it. The fox boy, the Kyuubi, was snuggled up to her left side, chewing on a blade of grass. He was like Naruto's cuter counterpart – ironic, since the Kyuubi was supposed to be Naruto's ugly side.

"And your people called us monsters," the Nanabi said wryly, though not bitterly. She spoke with the tone of one who had resolved her feelings, in a matter-of-fact manner. "Children… do actually hold the most power, you know," she smiled as the cat girl tiptoed to fit a flower wreath about her head. "They hold a lot of power, because they have the greatest potential. Children can wield this amount power, because they are uncorrupted. Everything around them is something new, something to be learnt. They don't think of deception, and their only greed is for learning. It would make sense that power is contained within children, don't you think? Power in them is safe. But when your people opened the Pandora's box and cruelly pulled these children out of home, into their battles and quests for power, the children lost control of that unlimited potential within them as they lost their innocence. That would be the source of the 'monsters' your people wanted and abhorred at the same time."

"It is our fault," Sakura agreed, quietly. She still felt like she was drifting, only her will was keeping her anchored here, in this strange world. Brought up to believe the tailed beasts to be monsters, she had never imagined that monsters, like humans, had another side to them; they too, had homes and others to love. "Human greed knows no bounds. We hypocritically shove the blame onto them," she inclined her heads towards the children, "but we selfishly forget that most of the time, our tragedies are of our own doing, in that never ending cycle of wanting power, and breeding hate."

"Do not blame," the Nanabi smiled. "It is enough that you understand. It is enough that we are safe, and back home. Even if a Haruno was the one who accidentally opened the portals between our realm and yours, you have absolved that."

"Who _are_ you?" Sakura asked, somewhat in awe.

"That is a question I cannot answer. Who can speak with authority about their origin or the reasons for their being alive? I simply know that I am here to care for my brothers and sisters, that I am most probably bestowed with maturity to serve as a guide for their blossoming potential. I do not have answers, I merely follow my heart and do what I deem to be right."

Silence, for a few moments. Nothing seemed appropriate to be spoken.

"You have made… a great sacrifice, Sakura-san," the Nanabi spoke again, this time with a little hesitation. "I, too, was selfish in wanting us to return home, in wanting to save my siblings from further damnation at Akatsuki's hands… selfish enough to offer you a deal without informing you of the implications of being my host. I am sorry."

"I'm really dead, aren't I?" Sakura asked bluntly, staring up at the sky. They both knew that was rhetorical. She had done a good thing, hadn't she? She'd helped these children get home. She'd saved her own world from being consumed by the chaos Akatsuki would have created with a full collection of Bijuu. She was a hero. She had wanted to be useful, she had wanted to be stronger, right? Sacrificing herself to save both these worlds, didn't that prove that she had become stronger?

But then she realized that that wasn't it at all.

All she wanted to do was to go home.

All she wanted to do was _live_.

N

A loud, exaggerated yawn broke the murmured quietness of the still battlefield, as Deidara made his own stand. In the middle of attention, of course. He'd never been able to resist showing off for nothing. It was art, after all.

"Weeelll… isn't this a _little_ troubling, after all?" he drawled, eyes trained of Tobi's frozen form. "I don't think I'll stay, Tobi-san. I mean, there's nothing in it for me. The Haruno girl went and blew up our hideous statue… I wanted to do that, too."

Seijin was more direct, turning away without ado. "I'm leaving."

Kisame swung the Sameheda over his shoulder, expressionless, with a curt comment - "My partner's dead." – as if that explained everything.

Zetsu merely shrugged, his black and white counterparts in sync. "Don't really matter," the white counterpart said. "Might as well stay to watch the show," the black counterpart cackled.

The defecting trio cast a final glance at Tobi, before starting off in the direction the Rain shinobi were going. Leaving.

"Who gave you permission to turn your backs on me?" a chilling voice filled the air, sending an ominous tingling of electricity coursing through the senses of every single shinobi on the battlefield. Tobi was striding forward, slowly but surely, grayish-black chakra tinged with flashes of electric blue enveloping his form. Through the single slit in the spiral mask, the blood-red Sharingan blazed, an eerie shade of bright crimson through the black hues of ominous chakra. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, he felt Kakashi tense beside him. Tobi's Sharingan had evolved. Instead of the triple-curved spiral of the considerably advanced Mangekyou, it had become a black cross, slashed across the red irises.

The battlefield had evolved into blankness. Above, there was an endless stretch of dark, ominous grey, streaked with black. It wasn't a sky – it was simply a flat layer above them, stretching into infinity. Below their feet lay rough, uneven ground, another layer that stretched into infinity. The modified surroundings gave off a sense of horrible emptiness – the dead and wounded strewn on the battlefield had disappeared, leaving only the blood-streaked survivors trapped in Tobi's genjutsu world. He had no need for what was already broken. Tobi only wanted whatever there was left to destroy.

"Shit," Kakashi swore viciously in an undertone. "He's got us."

Sasuke held Sakura's body closer, tighter, afraid that Tobi would try something. His own blood-red Sharingan were focused intently on his surroundings, filling him with a sense of power that he had only felt once before – when Sakura had been trapped in Itachi's Mangekyou and he had been certain that she would die.

Now she was really dead.

But still. His heart was clenched so tight it was agonizing. Still, he wanted to protect her, protect what he had _left_ of her.

The Akatsuki members were tensed, sensing the change in the atmosphere. Something foreboding was looming over the battlefield and they could feel it.

"Gakkhh-!" a guttural, choking sound rumbled through the tensed silence and all heads snapped in that direction. Seijin was writhing in midair, his voluminous chakra wings thrashing about against the death grip of the chakra tendrils extending from Tobi, like a trapped bird. The shinobis watched in horror as several more tendrils of chakra reached out, grasping the nearly-solid chakra wings. Ino shuddered, gripping her kunai tightly in an effort to stop shaking when she realized what Tobi intended to do.

A blood-curdling scream pierced through the air as Seijin's chakra wings were ripped, slowly and deliberately from his body. The man was obviously trying to dispel his wings, but they had been so long in use and so much a part of his body that he simply couldn't remove them. Probably before he even realized it, he had suffocated to death, his back bloody as Tobi's chakra tendrils tossed him aside. Kurenai backed away as the broken body landed horribly close to her, trembling. As a genjutsu user herself, she knew how dire their situation was, even though she said nothing. Tobi's genjutsu, with that Sharingan, was no illusion. Whatever the madman chose to visualize now, it would undoubtedly become a reality.

They had not realized that Tobi had also captured the remaining three Akatsuki members. Seijin's voluminous wings were being swallowed, corrupted by the black chakra tendrils that curled around them and spread like some kind of disease, absorbing the wings in entirety. It was only when they heard the explosion and the agonized scream that their attention was shifted – from one grisly scene to another. Deidara had tried to attack Tobi with his bombs. The chakra tendrils had caught the explosives and wrapped themselves around the attacker.

Deidara had lost both arms, and he was still screaming, covered in blood and shrapnel. Neji caught sight of the remaining clay bomb held by one of the chakra tendrils, reaching out towards the screaming man, and placed his hands over Tenten's and Hinata's eyes reflexively, not wanting them to watch the scene. The tendril holding the explosive stuffed itself into Deidara's mouth. The Hyuuga hoped fervently that the man had choked or suffocated to death before the following explosion. It would have been far more merciful, even if he was Konoha's enemy. Hinata and Tenten were both deathly pale as Neji's hands fell away - even without watching, they could imagine the worst.

Sasuke was watching Kisame. Sameheda was having a field day, with this much chakra surrounding it, but as much as it absorbed, Tobi never seemed aware of his chakra being drained. Kisame himself was slashing through the tendrils, fully aware of the fate that awaited him if he did not get out, get away. Sasuke thought vaguely about how futile this effort was – having spent so long around Itachi, Kisame should've realized that no matter what he did, he would remain within the genjutsu – and be at Tobi's mercy.

A howled curse erupted from Kisame as Sameheda wrenched itself out of his grasp, bloodied spikes extending from its hilt. The fickle sword had defected to the master with greater power. A chakra tendril seized hold of the sword, while those already binding Kisame crawled rapidly across his body to pin his flailing arms, rendering him immobile as Sameheda was brought towards its former master, vertically aligned with Kisame's body. With a sickening sound and an agonized cry, the sword's shark teeth were dragged downwards, through flesh, grating it off until the victim was silenced forever. The kunoichi on the battlefield whimpered, terrified, the males, even, could not stop themselves from trembling.

Kakashi was calmer, his eyes trained on the rather inconspicuous Zetsu, who was completely calm in his entrapped state. The two black-and-white halves of his face had the same slight, curled smile of confidence, of a person who was content in the knowledge that he had a way out, that he knew the solution to the problem at hand. It was eerie, seeing the face within the venus flytrap completely unperturbed while torture and massacre was happening to the members of his own organization. Then again, perhaps it was his passiveness that guaranteed his safety for the time being, for the crazed Tobi's attention was not yet called to him by futile attempts at escape. Kakashi's eyes narrowed. Zetsu had always been a low-key member of Akatsuki and generally assumed to be less flashy than the rest, however the look on his face now told the Jounin that it was simply slyness and cunning that kept this man out of the spotlight. He was the kind that skirted around the edges, doing his job – as long as it still benefitted himself. For all he had said before about 'staying and watching the show', Kakashi knew that he would soon desert Tobi, too.

"Dammit, Kakashi… once he's done with Akatsuki he'll turn on us too," Neji hissed in an undertone, next to him. "Any ideas? Kurenai's trying something, but with her alone…"

"If Sakura were here – " Kakashi cast him a sidelong glance, then swore at himself when he felt Sasuke tense on his other side. "Sorry," he muttered. "I'll try 'kai' too."

"We'll only stand a chance if we do it together," Sasuke's voice was low, chilled from Kakashi's reminder of Sakura's abilities. "This Sharingan – I have no idea how advanced it is."

Kakashi was only half listening, still watching Zetsu. The venus flytrap seemed to be folding inwards, enveloping that eerily smiling face, then crossing over and extending downwards to envelop his body completely too. Then it began to constrict, retracting into itself, losing itself within the chakra tendrils that seemed surprised to have lost hold of their quarry, flailing about. Kakashi's eyes strained to follow the diminishing pod, until he was certain that it was gone. '_How the hell did he do that?' _his mind ran over all the possibilities, but came to blanks at every turn.

"Kakashi! Focus!" Asuma whacked the Jounin on the arm. "How are we going to do this?"

Tenten was tensed near them, next to Hinata who was holding Naruto. Lee, Ino, Kiba and the rest of the shinobis clustered close, silent, but waiting to know if there was a solution.

"I don't – " Kakashi began, still dwelling on Zetsu.

Before he could finish his sentence, the ground jolted violently and he stumbled forward, nearly crashing into Neji. When Kakashi managed to regain his balance and glance at his surroundings, he froze.

They were back on the battlefield, the three dead Akatsuki members lying at Tobi's feet. Zetsu had disappeared. Konoha's shinobi gasped when they saw Danzou standing right before a frozen Tobi, his old, lined face scrunched up in determination. The bandages customarily covering his face and right eye had been torn off, and a Mangekyou Sharingan stared determinedly into Tobi's single eye, immobilizing him. It had probably forced Tobi to dispel his own genjutsu.

It was a sight, seeing the old, regal man making his stance, feet apart, hands upon the walking-cane that supported him as he drove his willpower against the Akatsuki leader's. He did not have full control, however. Tobi was struggling against his interference, the blue-black chakra tendrils straining to reach the old man obstructing him. Kakashi watched, eyes widening as he noticed the tendril that had crept into Tobi's right hand, stretching and elongating into the form of a katana.

At the same moment, Asuma, Kakashi, Neji and Sasuke darted forward, weapons raised.

Tobi raised his arm slowly, strenuously as they moved towards him.

_Too slow._

The chakra-sword was lifted, poised.

_Too slow. _

Their weapons met flesh at the exact moment when Tobi's katana drove through Danzou's side, and the elderly man buckled just as Tobi himself crumpled, eye contact broken.

_Too late._

N

Sai sprinted across the battlefield, towards the bloody remains of the face-off between Jiraya-sama and Orochimaru. The Sound shinobi were trying to intercept him, trying to dispose of another Konoha shinobi, but they hadn't been able to touch him yet - the inkmaster had unleashed his entire army of inked animals on the enemies. Sai's favourite, an intricately inked Siberian tiger, sprinted next to its master, on the watch, growling at anyone who dared to even glare in his direction. His most effective attack team, falcons, leopards and swift, vicious rats that terrified even the toughest of men, were on full-scale attack mode, disposing of the Sound shinobi with ease. No one was to interrupt his determination.

The inkmaster had watched the battle with intense concentration, feelings of hope stirring within him. Watching Jiraya-sama, who was almost identical in personality and beliefs to Naruto, fighting his final battle seemed to give Sai some form of assurance of the outcome of Naruto's own battles. He had been skeptical of the blonde loudmouth's resolve that the world's problems could be solved by determination alone, but perhaps… perhaps if Jiraya-sama could emerge victorious in this battle against a childhood friend forsaken, he, too, could begin to believe in Naruto's resolve. Perhaps he could allow himself to change and emerge from this chrysalis in which he had been hiding for so long, afraid that without it, the world could hurt him. The shell was beginning to crack, he knew. He could _feel_ things now. He just needed a little more conviction, a little more faith and a whole lot of courage to break out of this state of emotional paralysis he'd kept himself under.

"Jiraya-sama!"

He skidded to a halt next to the older man, automatically assessing the severity of his wounds. Jiraya was sitting bent over, trying to keep himself upright, drenched in blood and obviously in extreme pain. Orochimaru lay dead, several meters away, but surely this was too great a price to pay… Sai knew that Jiraya would not stay for long, either. His chest was heaving as he gasped painfully, having been stabbed several times; there was a long gash from his left shoulder down his arm, bleeding and turning blue-black. Sai knew that Manda's fangs had grazed him. If the wounds didn't kill him, the poison would. Gamabunta and Manda had disappeared, the former, though reluctant, was under Jiraya's orders to retreat; the latter had his contract terminated the moment Orochimaru was killed.

"Good," Jiraya attempted a smile when he saw the familiar face. He'd been almost afraid that he'd fall prey to some lumbering idiot of a shinobi and get himself killed before he fulfilled his final goal. "You're here… is Anko okay?"

"Aye, Captain," a quieter voice replied as Anko herself stepped over the bodies strewn across the ground to reach the dying Sannin. Her hands, clothes, face – were all streaked with blood, reminders of a battle hard fought and won – and she was walking towards them, but her eyes were inevitably trained on her dead ex-mentor, his face just as pale in death as it was in life. A man whom she had once adored as a genius, reduced to a shell containing nothing but ambition and twisted ideologies. Anko had no tears left for him – her last whispered words for Orochimaru were carried away by the wind before Jiraya or Sai could hear anything: "_What have you achieved, Orochimaru? Are you __**satisfied**__?"_

Turning away from the corpse abruptly, Anko gave her attention to Jiraya. But no matter how she tried to hide it, her voice had lost its usual sharpness. "What'cha want, old man?"

"You'll move on, Anko. You already have." He did not answer her question just yet.

"Don't lecture me on your deathbed, grandpa," Anko waved him off. "Are you going to tell me any famous last words or shall I leave you here to die?"

Jiraya managed a chuckle. "See… I knew you'd be alright – " he heaved again, clutching at his chest. With a gasping breath, he rasped: "Take – me to – Naruto."

Sai was already pulling out a roll of clean gauze and cloth from his pouch – Sakura had insisted that everybody carry basic medical supplies. _Sakura. Naruto_. Somehow Sai felt a sense of dread – not one of foreboding, but one of certainty. He quickly bandaged Jiraya's major chest wounds, if only to stem the bleeding and give him a little more time.

Between them, Anko and Sai supported the man, physically crippled but still unwaveringly determined, and all three hobbled across the battlefield in search of Naruto.

N

It was over. Tobi's frozen eyes, fading into blankness, told them that. His body, crumpling to the ground as they removed their weapons told them that. Danzou's weak, but victorious whisper "_I did it._" as he, too, lost his life, told them that.

But somehow it was hard to believe. It was like toiling long and hard, trying to figure out the solution to an arduous problem, only to find the answer sooner than you expected. Or never expecting to solve the problem, but suddenly finding that the problem had already been solved. They had all entertained doubts of not surviving or winning the war, yet _they had won_.

It didn't _feel_ like a victory. Sasuke sank to the ground, dropping his sword, still clutching Sakura's lifeless body. In a moment of overwhelming feelings, he hugged her tightly, unable to stop the tears cascading down in silence as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Not far from him, Hinata was bent over Naruto, sobs racking her petite frame. Kakashi sat heavily on the ground between them, arms resting on his knees, face downcast. The rest of the Rookie Nine plus Neji and Lee surrounded them, silent. The Jounins, resigned and knowing that there was nothing they could do, started off towards Konoha's gates to try and restore some form of order to the village. Medical nins were running out onto the battlefield, searching for the wounded. In the midst of all the bustle, the small group of mourning shinobi clustered, untouched by the world around them. They were joined by Temari and Gaara, who had just arrived to find the battle over and enemies fleeing – people who understood well enough to need no words.

Amongst the anguished or forlorn expressions, only Tenten's eyes were blank, staring at Sasuke curled over Sakura's corpse. There was something that was nagging strongly at the back of her mind, something that didn't seem _finished_. Sakura had been bothered by something for several weeks past. It didn't feel right to mourn… yet. There was still more that could be done. But what was it…?

"Tenten," Neji shook her gently, worried about her blankness. It might be the shock, but Tenten didn't deal with shocks by shutting down. "What's wrong?"

She turned towards him distractedly. "I… something's nagging at me about Sakura… but I don't know exactly _what_," she replied softly. "She was _bothered_ by something for the past few weeks."

The Hyuuga prodigy stared at her, his brow furrowed. Tenten wasn't the kind of person who imagined things and made herself believe them just because she wanted it to be so. If she said that something had happened, then it definitely happened. And it wasn't just her. He'd remembered something too.

"_Sakura's acting strange tonight," Neji casually observed while sitting about two seats away from the Uchiha. They were always like that, two quiet, stoic boys, trying to ignore the chaos around them, sitting alone until one of their friends came around to start annoying them. But they seldom talked to each other._

_Sasuke glanced at him, surprised._

_Neji stood to get a drink refill, speaking discreetly as he passed behind Sasuke's seat. _

"_Whatever that's bothering her is in her shuriken pouch, she keeps reaching for it unnecessarily."_

Shuriken pouch.

"She was fidgeting around with her shuriken pouch," Neji said at last, completely sure. Tenten was already kneeling next to Sakura, trying to coax the Uchiha to loosen his grip for a few seconds. His angst-ridden face crushed her, because she could easily picture herself or Neji in those features if anything happened to either of them. To have finally returned, only to have his love snatched from him like that… no. Stop. Focus. There was something to be done.

"Sasuke, let go for awhile, or at least loosen your grip," Tenten urged, trying to see where Sakura had hung her pouch.

"What?" The Uchiha said hoarsely, fiercely, holding Sakura closer instead. Tenten grimaced in exasperation, and slapped his left arm sharply.

"I'm not going to hurt her, now let go for a _second_-" she pried his arm off and snatched at the pouch that had been hung at Sakura's other side, crushed against the Uchiha.

No. This wasn't it. "Not this one," Tenten whispered almost desperately, looking up at Neji, pleading with him to think of something. "Sakura's pouch had her initials sewn on it!" This pouch she held, inexplicably, belonged to Uchiha Itachi. His name was printed on the back. She had no time to wonder how Sakura had gotten it.

"Calm down, Tenten," Neji's Byakugan had been activated as he looked around him. "Her pouch was probably taken when she was captured." Sasuke was glancing at both of them, confused, too anguished to think properly. Neji's gaze was caught by something pulsating strongly, something that felt dangerous and beautiful at the same time, and turned towards it.

A grim smile twitched on his lips. '_Figures_.' He strode towards Tobi's corpse, pulling open the detestable cloak, reaching into the inner pocket. There. Sakura's pouch. Even as he held it, he could feel the pull – the attraction between whatever was in the pouch and Sakura herself.

Just as he turned around to show Tenten his find, Jiraya-sama hobbled into view, supported by a very much bloodied Anko and the ever-neutral Sai. The Sannin, obviously mortally wounded, gave them a weak smile and wave. Neji returned to Tenten's side; Anko and Sai led Jiraya towards Naruto.

Tenten reached into the pouch, pulling out a vial. The strong, pure, bluish-white glow radiated power, drawing all eyes to it in wonder.

Jiraya let out a dry chuckle, his voice hoarse. He'd heard of the old weapons maker's crazy plans before, when he was much younger. But who was to say that these things were impossible? "Goodness. Her grandfather actually managed it, eh…"

"Managed what?" Sasuke asked sharply, regaining his composure. There was a somewhat hopeful atmosphere beginning to spread, it was infectious. Yet it was hope against hope.

"Managed… to be able to do for Sakura… what I'm going to do for Naruto," Jiraya spoke slowly, with effort, but still smiling.

"And what Chiyo-sama did for me," Gaara added quietly. "Give life."

The miraculous word echoed through the silence, reverberating with the strength that could only come from being alive, feeling alive. They could still hope.

"There will be a happy ending for you brats… so stop looking like that. Tsunade-chan… wouldn't want anyone to cry. It's our time… we know it," Jiraya looked around in mock reproach, before glancing down at Naruto. "Tell Naruto… that he'd better be grateful for this!" His shoulders heaved, his eyes downcast – the closest he would come to crying. "Tell him… to live his life well… and to become the Hokage. Tell him that I'm proud of him. Tell him… that he's free now."

Without their realizing it, tears were cascading down the cheeks of every shinobi present. Jiraya only smiled as he looked up at them, his own tears streaking down his face. "Tsunade… would tell Sakura all the same things, too, you know? And you guys. God, I'm becoming sentimental," his voice turned gruff. "Live well. That's all… the advice… I can give you. Kakashi… I charge you… with the manuscript for my last Icha-Icha book… you can read it… but get it published. If it doesn't sell a million copies by next year I'll haunt you."

Kakashi had to choke out a laugh. "Yes, sir."

"Break open the seal… on that thing," Jiraya nodded towards Tenten. "It'll do what it's supposed to do." Tenten nodded.

"Well," Jiraya closed his eyes, placing his hands on Naruto's chest. A wide smile spread across his face. "I'm leaving."

N

Without realizing it, she had been crying. Without realizing it, she'd gathered all the children into a huge hug, burying her face in their midst and letting her tears fall as sob after sob racked her shoulders. It had been so long since she had let herself go like this. Crying for nothing, logically, would be stupid, but who cared? It _felt_ right. She had almost forgotten how crying could gradually unclench an aching heart, how the teardrops falling from her eyes felt like a burden being released. And she had had so many burdens accumulated over the past few months, the past few years, even, that had crushed her.

"God…" Sakura rubbed at her eyes, feeling rather pathetic as the children stared at her intently, as if they had never seen a grown-up cry before. "I'm sorry for all the crying. This is so stupid."

"Is it?" the Nanabi tilted her head to one side, smiling. "Why would it be stupid if it makes you feel better?"

Sakura laughed while sniffing, producing a funnily hollow chuckle. The Nanabi had a personality that couldn't be defined. One moment she was all kind, the next, sarcastic, and after that, impatient. But perhaps having known the Nanabi and shared a connection with her, Sakura had matured by leaps and bounds. She'd discovered how fragile she truly was when she had been confronted by something greater than herself. Responsibility, choices, power. Love.

"I'm just too used to holding my head high. Comforting others, never requiring comfort. That's the life of a medic… and I was really proud to have people rely on me, cry to me. I guess I forgot that I have to cry for myself sometimes, too," Sakura spoke quietly now, her tone melancholic, but she couldn't erase the traces of bitterness. "But then it doesn't matter anymore, I suppose. I'm dead. I should move on."

"Are you _ready_ to move on?" the Nanabi cast her a sidelong glance, rising smoothly and motioning for Sakura to follow, moving towards where Naruto lay, seemingly sleeping.

"Does that even matter? I have to. I can't go back – life waits for no one," Sakura knelt next to Naruto, a wave of emotion washing over her as she looked at his face, so open and unassuming. She could see so clearly in her mind what could have been: Naruto the Rokudaime, Hinata by his side. Naruto the father. Naruto, loved and respected by those who once abhorred him for the beast within. She could see traces of herself too, with a certain raven-haired person by her side, but she blatantly ignored it, shut it out. She couldn't deal with that, not when she had to stop clinging and move on.

"Remember, your willpower keeps you here," the Nanabi cautioned sharply. "I can only anchor you both, and not very strongly at that," she gestured towards Naruto's unconscious form. "I couldn't keep both of you conscious in this world, but Naruto has a stronger will to live compared to yours, so he is fairly safe. You, on the other hand… stop drifting every fifteen minutes!"

"But what's the point?" The cherry blossom was getting confused, agitated, even. "Why are you keeping us here? You keep talking as if – as if it's possible to go back, as if we can both live again!" Sakura spoke distractedly, looking up at the Nanabi. Her features seemed to have hardened, become more defined. "Please, just stop giving me hope when I know I've got to leave all that behind, when I've told myself that it's all _over_!"

"You believe that this death, this end is your destiny?" the Nanabi's voice had an edge of mocking laughter to it, which began to infuriate the cherry blossom.

"Stop messing with me!"

The Nanabi caught hold of Sakura's hands clenching at her uniform skirt. "Destiny isn't a matter of chance, Sakura. It's a choice. Your choice. By keeping you here, I gave you a _choice_." Hazel-coloured eyes stared into hers as the Nanabi released her, and gathered to Kyubi in her arms as the child clambered onto her lap. His eyes, too, startlingly similar to Naruto's, stared into hers with exactly the same intensity as the hyperactive ninja's.

"So what will _you_ choose?"

Sakura could not stop staring at the child Kyubi. Something was tugging at her, like the children pulling at her hands and fingers, combing through her hair, but this was an inward pull. Her heart seemed to be tugging inwards, pulling her strength, her will, her thoughts, her memories into itself, holding it close, while chiding her gently: _Don't think so much. Let me guide you_.

Something in the atmosphere was changing, too. There was a sort of electrical tingling that prickled on her skin, jolting her. And Naruto was stirring.

"His heart guides him, too," the Nanabi smiled, reaching out for Sakura's hand, clasping it around Naruto's, then gesturing towards the children. "Come on, say goodbye now."

Sakura received a flurry of warm hugs overflowing with childish concern, and was pleasantly surprised when the Shukaku and Kyubi both reached up on tiptoe, kissing her on either cheek. Both withdrew quickly, turning red as they waved awkwardly and ran off.

The Nanabi laughed, then sighed. "Brave kids, those two," she glanced at Sakura with a smile. "You know, Sakura-san… I really liked you." Before Sakura could reply to that, the Nanabi had bestowed her farewell blessing – a kiss on the forehead. The electrical tingling was stronger now, full of anticipation. Sakura did not know what to concentrate on. As the Nanabi drew back, her smile turned mischievous.

"By the way… I never said I was of the female gender."

The scene around Sakura was dissolving rapidly, and she was distracted again. The Nanabi's voice, now a deeper, richer tone, echoed as the last thing she heard before pleasant darkness engulfed her.

"Time to go home."

N

Coming home wasn't as pleasant as she had thought it would be. Sakura had completely forgotten about her wound – the moment she regained consciousness, an excruciating burst of pain engulfed her chest and she let out a strangled cry of agony, shuddering. Too much blood loss. She was dizzy, fatigued, and could barely register the arms that held her tight, the voices that called her name. However, one voice sounded clearly through the haze of her mind, a voice that wasn't calling her name, but still filled with agonized worry _for_ her.

"SHIZUNE! Shizune, dammit, GET OVER HERE!" Sasuke's voice was cracking, Sakura could tell. It hurt her too, to feel that he was so near breaking point.

"I'm here, so shut up, Uchiha! What the f*ck did you think you were doing, moving her around when she was hurt like that!" Shizune snapped back. "Transfusion packs, you know the blood type! Get a stretcher over here and put the patient in ER 1!" she barked at her assistants. "Sakura, you hang on now girl, or I'll never forgive you!"

All the familiar voices, the faces. She was home. She was _alive_. She started crying again.

Sasuke's hands were clasping hers tightly. They were shaking uncontrollably, overwhelmed. "Oh God, Sakura…. _Sakura_…"

The cherry blossom had to smile through the pain, lifting her hand up slowly to cup his cheek, wet with tears. Clear emerald eyes met onyx ones, holding them in an unwavering gaze as she stroked his jaw, tangling her fingers in his jet-black hair. Holding him close, whispering her words faintly, trying not to show her pain.

"It'll be okay, Sasuke… I'm okay. We're okay."

N

They were sitting atop the Hokage Monument Cliffs, just the two of them. His head lay on her lap as he played with the strands of her long brown hair that she so seldom left down, while she watched the village and told him about what she could see, and he stared at the sky and told her what he could imagine.

"Ne, Konohamaru-kun is staring at the Sandaime's monument again… that kid really misses his grandfather, doesn't he?" Tenten glanced down at the familiar shock of brown hair and blue goggles. The young Genin had grown into his trailing scarf over the years since the Sandaime's death, it fit his height well now.

"It's just a little of missing, it's more like respect. He goes there whenever he's free," Neji closed his eyes. "And are you sure he's not staring at the work starting on Naruto's monument, trying to challenge it?"

"Know-it-all," Tenten laughed, pinching his arm. "But it's kinda unbelievable, isn't it? Naruto the Rokudaime. When he was twelve I'd never have believed it."

"And you never would've thought you'd become Sakura's friend either," Neji pointed out objectively, looking up at her. "Hey, look, that cloud looks like Gai-sensei."

"I don't want to see that," Tenten groaned. "Don't we see him enough as it is? And you're becoming just as bad as Shikamaru, lazing around and watching clouds."

"It isn't a crime to relax and spend time with my fiancé," Neji defended laughingly, running his fingers through her hair. "How is Sakura?"

The cherry blossom had fallen into a coma right after she'd spoken to Sasuke, and did not wake for weeks after the operation to mend the hole through the right atrium of her heart. Shizune had put it down to trauma, and said that Sakura should wake if her will to live was strong, but Sasuke had scarcely been convinced, and became a permanent resident at her bedside for three weeks, afraid that she would leave him any moment.

"Doing okay now. She's frustrated that she can't do anything more than walk, eat and sleep though. The usual," Tenten said with a very slight smile. "She never says it, but I know she regrets that she missed Tsunade-sama's funeral. She spends a lot of time at the crystal memorial Gaara-sama and Haku created."

"Well, don't worry. If she can come back from the dead, she can certainly live through all this," Neji said. "She may have her moments, but she's still a strong girl."

"Is that a sign that you're straying from me, Hyuuga?" Tenten teased lightly.

"Hell no. I'd rather not start another war with the Uchiha two months after we've dealt with the last one," Neji smiled.

Tenten laughed. "But you know, Neji… I never quite understood what happened with the stuff inside that vial. I mean, it just drifted towards Sakura's body and disappeared. What _was_ it?"

"Life force," Neji said simply. "I got the story from Hiashi-sama… apparently Sakura's grandfather was quite the inventor. I assume that instead of simply transferring life force from one to another, he found a way to extract his own life force, little by little, and store it… but who knows?"

Tenten sighed, wrapping her fingers around Neji's, combing through her hair. "It's unbelievable, isn't it? So much happening over the span of just a few months… sometimes I just can't absorb it all. Tsunade-sama and Jiraya-sama gone… and so many others… Sakura and Naruto dying and coming back… the absence of the tailed beasts… _everything_."

She suddenly felt a hand reach behind her head, gently but firmly tilting her head down to stare into the opaque eyes of the Hyuuga prodigy, which suddenly acquired a very serious expression.

"What's wrong, Neji?"

"Tenten… answer me honestly," Neji said quietly, his features rather tensed. "Is this… really too much for you? Did I ask too soon? Are you… sure that you want to enter the Hyuuga clan… a bunch of obnoxious prats… are you _sure_ you want to marry me?"

Tenten sighed inwardly. For such a confident, handsome guy, he sure was choosing a bad time to doubt her attachment to him. "Well, Neji, I don't know. Now that I think about it, 'Hyuuga Neji's fiance' sounds so much better than 'Hyuuga Neji's wife', so maybe I won't marry you after all."

"Tenten, be serious," Neji sat up, cupping her face with both hands as he twisted to face her. His expression was taut with uncertainty. Tenten's heart softened. He _was_ really worried.

"Neji…"

They were interrupted by a pink head popping up over the edge of the cliff from where the ladder led up.

"Oh- I'm so sorry for interrupting!" Sakura blushed, even though she was used to seeing this couple around already. It didn't help that she had woken up from three weeks of coma to find out that they were _engaged_. "I'll just go right back down-"

"It's okay, Sakura," Tenten said soothingly. "Just give me a moment with this stubborn excuse of a genius that is unconvinced that _I love him_."

She turned forcefully back to face her fiancé, her brown eyes clear as she grasped his hands and put them back into position cupping her face. "You listen to me, Hyuuga Neji, before I blow. I love you. I would _never_ have agreed to marry you if I didn't know for certain that I definitely want to spend the rest of my life with you, come what may. Your Hyuugas can say whatever they want about me and my lack of _lineage_, but I will stay right next to you, where I _belong_, as long as you want me." The brown-haired kunoichi let out a startled squeak as Neji pulled her close and hugged her tight.

"Thank you," he said fervently, whispering into her ear. "I love you."

"Hey, are you done? There's a convalescing invalid hanging halfway up a ladder here!" Sakura called out, deciding that she'd seen enough.

"Invalid, my foot. You're scaling cliffs now, aren't you? What part of that screams 'invalid'? Get up here," Tenten extracted herself from the embrace with a small smile at her fiance and reached out to help her friend up.

"Eh? Where's the Uchiha?" Neji cast Sakura a sidelong glance. "I thought you two were superglued to each other."

"Oh, your ego's recovered, has it now?" Sakura retorted, sitting down in a cross-legged position, trying to regain her breath. It was pretty frustrating to find once-simple tasks rendered difficult by her injury. "Sasuke said he had to go back to the Uchiha mansion. He did ask me to go with him… but I think he's trying to find his own answers there so I told him to go alone and said that I'd look for you guys."

"He's going to have a heart attack when he finds out that you climbed all the way up here," Tenten laughed.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him at all," Sakura smiled conspiratorially, then sighed. "He worries too much… but when I remember the look on his face when I got back, I don't have the heart to tell him to stop sweating the small stuff…"

"Thank God you came back, Sakura…" Tenten said suddenly, hugging her friend. "I never said this, but I'm so happy that you came back to us."

"I came back because I remembered that you guys were here," Sakura laughed through the tears that threatened to spill. "Funny, isn't it? When I woke up after the operation, I found Sai – _Sai_ – peeling _apples_ in my room next to Sasuke, like it was the most normal thing in the world. His smile after the surprise was so genuine. And Haku, too, with a beautiful lily carved from ice. And within seconds, everyone was there, flowers, cards, presents, balloons, with Sasuke trying to fend them off so that he could stay right next to me. _I'm_ the one who's happy to be back, Tenten… I thought that I could never come home again."

"How's our Rokudaime?" Neji said lightly, trying to revive the formerly cheerful atmosphere.

"You tell me, you see him everyday on business."

"Well, you've seen him in the last hour."

Sakura laughed. "You saw me? Well, he's being bombarded by the elders, if I recall," she smiled mischievously. "Didn't even have time to speak to me, he was too busy running away from them."

"Bet that loudmouth never imagined that the glory of becoming Hokage came with a ton of paperwork and nagging," Neji said easily, tugging at a strand of Tenten's hair.

"He'll learn to live with it, if he's got Hinata to pacify him," Tenten grinned. "Neji, don't you have something to do now?"

"Yeah. Shikamaru and Kakashi are going over the list of potential ANBU recruits with Naruto, I've got to go. Are you two staying here?"

"I promised to help Ino with something," Tenten told him. "Why don't you come along, Sakura?"

"Nah. I'll leave you to it," Sakura smiled as her two friends stood and dusted themselves off. "We'll be seeing everyone for dinner at Ichiraku's tonight, anyway. I think I'll just sit here and enjoy the feeling of being home for awhile."

Sakura stayed there until the sun began to set in the distance, casting a warm glow over the village that she loved so much. The monument honouring Tsunade and Jiraya near Konoha's gates glinted in the dimming sunlight, bringing tears into her eyes again. Sasuke found her there, and saying nothing, sat beside her with an arm around her waist, holding her close, watching the sunset.

N

_Well, that's the end of chapter 38! It's the official end of Avenger's, but there's still an epilogue, so please watch out for it!_

_Personally, I really liked this chapter. I hope you did too! Thanks for staying with me all this time! _

_I also hope (if it's not asking for too much), that you guys will be willing to re-read Avenger's from start to end before you read the epilogue, and leave me a review on the whole impression this story and my writing has left you with. I'm trying to hit 1500 reviews! . lol…_

_Hope you enjoyed it!_

_Cheers,_

_-Rave-chan- _


	40. Epilogue: Ten Years Later

Epilogue.

She was late. They were supposed to be back three hours ago, dammit! If that idiot Naruto had messed up all the mission schedules again he was going to _murder_ him tomorrow, Rokudaime or no.

Never having been one to pace when agitated, Sasuke sat perfectly still, silent and upright, glaring at the garden shrubbery to vent his frustration. It was several moments before he came to terms with the futility of this exertion and let his shoulders slump with a sigh, staring up at the pale, beautiful moon.

A small whine sounded from next to the children's futons. Saya, the family pet dog padded over to her master's side, sensing his unease. Sasuke absently scratched behind her ears, petting the dark fur on her head.

"It's alright, Saya. Go back to rest."

Saya let out another tiny whine before turning around and resuming her post by the sleeping children. Natsume and Mikoto had insisted on dragging their futons out into the living room to wait for their mother to get home. Sasuke had _only_ relented because he'd thought she wouldn't be back too late. They'd put up quite an impressive fight against their drowsiness before succumbing to the bliss of sleep two hours ago. But that left him here, alone, waiting and worrying.

He closed his eyes and let himself sink in the quiet sounds of the night. Somehow, Natsume and Mikoto's even breathing calmed him down a littleand Sasuke relaxed, his fingers brushing past the _furisode _folded neatly on the veranda next to him. He'd brought it out for Sakura during the empty hours of his wait, just in case she was cold from all her travelling. It was autumn, and the weather was getting rather chilly.

Sasuke reached out for the garment and lifted it to examine the pattern of bamboo leaves, for lack of occupation. Sakura had bought it for him sometime after their engagement, and it had become an unspoken favourite -

His instincts tingled as her familiar chakra signature registered within his senses. In a moment he was on his feet, flinging the furisode over his shoulder, his eyes trained intently on the front gate, willing her to appear. His feet automatically carried him in search of her, striding quickly and quietly out of the house. He did not worry for the children's safety, Saya was an excellent guard dog. Sasuke was on the main road in five seconds flat, treading swiftly, urgently, in the direction of her presence.

He met her when she was just crossing the bridge, her shadow drawing long behind her from the gentle moonlight, while her steps were slowed down by lethargy and exhaustion. Her eyes were dull and tired, but her smile upon seeing him gave her a beautiful glow that he loved immensely. They said nothing, only drawing closer to each other - Sasuke draping the furisode over Sakura's shoulders and taking her pack, silencing her feeble protests with a kiss.

"I missed you," Sakura whispered gratefully, leaning against her husband as he drew her to his side with an arm around her waist. "Are Natsume and Mikoto alright?"

"Save for the fact that they're sleeping in the living room waiting for you, they're just fine," Sasuke replied, unable to conceal the small smile creeping onto his face. As always, she worried about everyone else before herself. "I missed you too. So much."

Sakura smiled contentedly up at him as they crossed the threshold of the gate, but the smile was swiftly replaced with a grimace of pain when she tripped, gasped and crumpled against Sasuke.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked sharply, supporting her with an anchoring arm around her waist. Almost all of her weight had been transferred to him, which indicated that she was somewhat injured.

"Nothing," Sakura said, a little too quickly for her lie to be believable. "I just tripped." She straightened and pushed away from him. "Let's just put the kids to bed, Sasuke."

Already well-acquainted with his wife's stubborn streak, Sasuke said nothing, only reaching out to slide open the front door. He let her step into the house first, watching her quietly. The kunoichi knelt slowly next to Mikoto's tiny sleeping form, smoothing her daughter's jet-black hair that fanned out across the pillow. Sakura slipped her hands around Mikoto and gently picked her up, a tender smile on her face as Mikoto mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "okaa-san..." and snuggled to her mother's chest.

But as she tried to get up, Sakura's face contorted into another grimace of pain and she quickly set Mikoto back down, afraid of hurting her daughter. Sasuke was next to her in a flash, his expression dark, daring her to lie to him again.

"Tell me what's wrong," he demanded hoarsely, scooping her up in his arms. "Sakura. Tell me."

She didn't have to. A large patch of crimson was blossoming across her right thigh, seeping through the bandages at the hem of her shorts that Sasuke had previously thought nothing of. His face turned pale as he lifted her easily, heading straight for the bathroom. It could only mean one thing when Sakura failed to effectively heal her own wounds.

"You spent all your chakra healing every damn person but yourself again," his voice was taut as onyx eyes bore into her emerald ones.

"Sasuke, you're overreacting," Sakura pushed against his chest feebly in an attempt to get him to put her down. He merely tightened his grip and glared daggers at her. Sakura abandoned the attempt and leaned into him, sighing against his shoulder, secretly enjoying his familiar scent. "We got attacked on the way back... And when I got back, there was an emergency at the hospital."

So that was why she had been so late. He wouldn't blame her for that though, but he couldn't let the other issue slip. "And you couldn't have gotten any other medic to heal you?" the Uchiha growled, setting Sakura down on the edge of the bathtub, piercing onyx eyes daring her to move even an _inch _from that spot as he reached into the medicine cupboard to grab the medical supplies he required with practiced ease. Two children could collect an impressive amount of scrapes and bruises from a day's playing.

"You know that tomorrow's a holiday, Sasuke. A lot of hospital staff are on leave, and there aren't many on night shift in the first place. All hands available had to pitch in for the emergency," Sakura explained patiently as Sasuke gently unwound the stained bandages despite being annoyed with her. He hissed at the sight of the deep kunai gash spanning the length of his hand marring her smooth skin.

"I'm going to have to stitch this up," Sasuke looked up at her, still trying to keep an angry expression on. She was always so damn reckless!

Sakura winced noticeably. "Really? But - I hate stitches..." Sakura's voice acquired the tinge of a whine. She _despised_ stitches, and Sasuke knew it. He was doing this on purpose.

"Really now," Sasuke said drily, feigning ignorance. "Well then, you should have thought about that before you used up all your healing chakra on everyone else, shouldn't you?" He cast her a sidelong glance as he ran hot water and scrubbed his hands thoroughly before reaching for the alcohol swabs, sterilized needle and surgical thread.

"Can't I just leave it in bandages until tomorrow, and heal it then?" Sakura made a last-ditch attempt, drawing backwards. Not that she had anywhere to escape to - if she slid back any further she'd be plunging bottom-first into the bathtub, and that would hurt quite a bit.

"No, Sakura," Sasuke remained adamant, using a clean cloth and hot water to gently clean the wound of blood before swabbing the area with alcohol. "Just close your eyes. It'll be over in a moment." This time, he had to smile at her torn expression. "Trust me."

Damn him and his stupid half-smile that melted her every single time. Sakura swore under her breath threateningly. "If it hurts, Sasuke..."

"I would appreciate it if you didn't make any loud noises that would wake the children, in that case," Sasuke retorted smilingly. Sakura gaped at his heartlessness, and Sasuke very nearly laughed. "Just shut up and close your eyes," he smoothed a warm hand over her eyes and started work, feeling a little guilty as Sakura bit back the hisses of pain each time the needle pierced her skin, or the thread was pulled taut.

Twenty stitches. Sasuke finished his final knot and cut the thread with a satisfying snap. "Done, love," he kissed her on the forehead as Sakura tentatively opened one eye. "Good girl."

"Somehow that statement just pats you on the head and dismisses you," Sakura's tone was disgruntled as she ginglerly flexed her leg while Sasuke re-bandaged the wound. He laughed, and drew her towards him for a long, satisfying hug. She was home, with him, and safe. "It's because you're so damn reckless," he whispered huskily into the pink locks that he'd missed. "You make me worry all the time."

Sakura snuggled into the embrace, lavishing the feeling of being loved while deeply inhaling Sasuke's comfortable scent. "It's _because_ you're here to worry that I can be reckless," she tease lightly. "Besides, I've had my fair share of worrying about _you_, so that pretty much puts us on even ground, does it not?" Sakura added coyly.

"You're so unfair," Sasuke grumbled, but did not push her away to tease her and make his point. She could win this bout as long as he knew she was here with him.

Sakura laughed girlishly, letting the child within her take over for a few moments. She was home safe, after all, away from demanding missions and grisly hospital scenes. There was nothing to worry about, not when she had Sasuke, Natsume and Mikoto with her.

"I'm so sleepy..." Her content thoughts were interrupted by a huge yawn, and she nestled her head in the crook of Sasuke's neck, already half-asleep.

The Uchiha smiled, slipping an arm under her knees and another around her shoulders, hoisting her up easily. "Go to sleep, love."

"But I want to talk to you..." Sakura mumbled, almost inaudibly, into his shoulder.

"We have all day tomorrow. Sleep."

Sakura turned her head to protest, though her half-closed eyes were doing little to help her case. "But - "

Sasuke kissed the top of her forehead swiftly, his warning gaze silencing her. "Sleep."

"Mmm... kay..."

N

The morning had been comfortable for Sakura, tucked securely into the space between the circle of Sasuke's arms and his torso with her head under his chin - _very _comfortable, actually - until a warm bundle launched itself upon the bed, landing squarely upon the snuggled couple.

"Kaa-san! You're home! Welcome back!" Natsume's enthusiastic greeting was only slightly muffled by the comforter he had his face buried in, searching for his mother.

"Oof." Sasuke and Sakura rolled apart, still groggy with sleep. The onyx-haired Uchiha refused to relinquish his grip on his wife, keeping one arm securely around her waist as they sat up to face their six-year-old son.

"What did I say about knocking before entering, Uchiha Natsume?" Sasuke tried to muster his sternest voice despite being only a little more than half-awake.

"But- kaa-san-" Natsume, knowing his father to be immovable at this point, pleaded for mercy from the pink-haired kunoichi.

Sakura laughed. "Nu-uh Natsu, tou-san's right. You ought to knock. Now go out of the room, close the door and try again."

The raven-haired boy was off the bed and out of the room with the door shut in a flash that would have made Namikaze Minato proud. With a knock that was barely a tap, the door swung open again and Natsume was back on the bed in three seconds flat, hugging the life out of his mother.

"Don't want kaa-san on three-month missions again," Natsume mumbled into her shoulder.

"I'll try, Natsu-chan, okay?" Sakura hugged her eldest son tight, before spotting her four-year-old daughter in the doorway and smiling widely. "Mikoto, come here."

"I misshed kaa-san too..." Mikoto appeared to be sleepier than her lively brother as she pattered over to the bed and Sasuke lifted her up to sit on the bed next to Sakura. Sakura promptly drew her into the embrace, only to hear her youngest complain: "Kaa-san, otou-san can't cook."

Sakura had to stifle her full-blown laughter at the statement and the highly... Interesting effect it had on Sasuke's expression. She hugged her children to her, hard. "I missed you both too!"

She could almost cry, being at home, surrounded by those she so dearly loved. This was the family she could come home to, every day. The children and husband who made her life complete. The ones who made her happy. The family she would die to protect.

"What? I'm not included?" Sasuke pretended to be hurt, doing his best impression of Naruto denied ramen.

The children giggled, and Sakura grinned, giving him a mischievous glance while deliberately ignoring his question. "Now… who's hungry?"

N

After breakfast and an hour of yelling at Sakura through the bathroom door to hurry up with her dressing ("OKAA-SAN! It's just a yukata, what's taking you so long? We're late for the taiko performance!", "Son, you'll understand when you find yourself a girlfriend, but for now you'd best leave your mother alone. Sakura, will you _please_ hurry up!", "Will you both just ENTERTAIN YOURSELVES and let a girl do what a girl's gotta do!"), the little family trooped out of the house, dressed up in yukatas to join Konoha's annual cherry-blossom viewing festival.

Natsume skipped along enthusiastically, pointing and exclaiming at everything with the hand that wasn't latched onto his mother's. Mikoto, the calmer of the two, was perched atop her father's shoulders, surveying the world around her with quiet grace in her pale pink, daisy-patterned yukata. Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura had their hands entwined, the former nodding politely at the people they passed while the latter greeted everyone cheerfully, having missed all the townspeople after three long months.

The Uchiha district was a changed place. Once a ghost town, deserted and avoided due to the terrible, unspeakable history connected to it, with no one to claim it after Sasuke's departure, it was now a bustling place full of life and vigour. Sasuke himself had cleared out the main house where he used to live, personally scrubbed off the traces of his own family's massacre, and repaired everything that was broken with a little help from the friends who had turned up without being asked. He wanted a new life, and rebuilding his broken home had been a step towards that desired recovery.

Sasuke had hired professional builders and cleaners to spruce up the rest of the district, then sold the properties to Konoha's government and other willing buyers for a fair price. He only retained his old home, as well as several places that held personal memories - like the corner shop that used to sell his favourite sweets. He wanted to ensure that good people occupied those important places.

"Sasuke," Sakura called gently, knowing exactly what her husband was thinking about, "smile, and look forward."

He graced her with a small uplift of the corners of his mouth, releasing her hand to grasp her waist securely while the other anchored Mikoto firmly upon his shoulders.

"Otou-san?" Mikoto asked tentatively, grasping fistfuls of his onyx hair. Sasuke tilted his head back to look at her and smiled.

"Shall we go faster? We'll miss the taiko performance if we keep crawling along like this."

"Faster, faster!" Natsume cheered, already tugging Sakura along so that she had to stumble after him.

"Faster? In this nice yukata?" Sakura exclaimed, gesturing towards her gorgeous pale yellow garment embroidered with sunflowers. "And my new geta-"

"Oh, just come along for the ride," Sasuke said laughingly, lifting his wife off her feet with that one arm latched around her waist as she let out a tiny squeal. "Mikoto, hold tight; Natsume, race to the Hokage Tower, three, two, one!"

Natsume whooped, and they were off.

N

"No fair, no fair, otou-san got a head start!" Natsume howled indignantly as he (obviously) lost the race.

Sakura was trying very hard not to laugh at her son's little misfortune, but Sasuke was unashamed. "You, son, were not carrying two people. It was only fair that I got a head start." The Uchiha lectured with a rare twinkle in his eyes.

"I could've carried okaa-san but tou-san didn't let me!"

"I don't know if I should be flattered that my son thinks that I'm light enough for him to carry, or if I should be insulted that he thinks I need to be carried by my own child." Sakura said dryly to Tenten, who had arrived with Neji, ten-year-old Sayuri and little four-year-old Kenji just in time to catch the exchange between Sasuke and Natsume. "Stop it, you two, and greet everyone properly."

Tenten laughed, Neji smiled. Natsume hurriedly made the proper greeting to the Lord and Lady Hyuuga - his mischievously charming smile ensuring that he stayed in everyone's good graces, while Mikoto's greeting was quieter, and more polite.

"Why you cheeky brat, is that any way to smile at your godmother?" Tenten reprimanded the young boy. "You better behave, Natsume, or I'll leave you out of my weaponry lessons next time!" Tenten's weaponry lessons were clamoured after by every aspiring genin and even chuunin in the village, her reputation as the weapons' mistress was legendary.

Natsume sobered immediately, his expression befitting a funeral.

Sasuke and Neji were already deep in conversation about clan, missions and village business - the relationship between the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans had greatly improved by their acceptance of each other. Sakura and Tenten, meanwhile, exchanged knowing looks as Mikoto and Kenji inevitably latched on to each other (there was a secret pact between the two mothers that those two were _definitely_ meant for each other - of course Neji and Sasuke knew nothing about it) and greeted the rest of their acquaintances – Naruto and Hinata made their way over with baby Kushina, who had just turned one; Ino was nagging Shikamaru, once again, about one trivial thing or another as their nine-year-old son Riku rolled his eyes behind his parents and muttered "troublesome", an infuriating habit he'd picked up from his father. Sai was deep in conversation with Haku and Shino; Lee and Gai, soaking in the celebratory mood, were putting on another fanciful display of youthfulness complete with tears, sunrises and a dramatic orchestra; Genma had his arm slung around Shizune while she laughed at something he said; Asuma was busy keeping tabs on his very pretty sixteen-year-old daughter Chiyuki who was surrounded by adoring boys while Kurenai laughed and told him to lighten up. Everyone was catching up as missions and life itself had left little time for bonding.

"Well I'll catch you guys in a bit – I have to go officiate this event," Naruto took his leave, dragging Hinata with him. "Wait up for us for lunch, alright!"

"It's your treat!" Sakura called after him brightly, a devious smirk gracing her features as she waved off his terrified protests while Hinata laughingly pulled him towards the podium. "I'll invite _everyone_!"

"That's really rather cruel of you, Sakura-chan, no?" a familiar, deep voice sounded from behind them. Kakashi made his appearance just as the taiko drum performance began, capturing the attention of all the children. Once again, the orange book was in hand, and the mask in place, but his eyes were full of laughter.

Sakura played along. "Oh really now, Kakashi? Is that an offer for _you_ to take Naruto's place and treat us all to lunch?" Sasuke and Neji were trying very hard not to laugh at Kakashi's expression.

The Copy-nin was saved from his predicament by an excited shout as a bundle of pink came pummeling towards him. "Kakashi-jii-chan!" Mikoto was ecstatic to see her godfather, and immediately reached out towards him in a plea to be carried.

Kakashi hurriedly stuffed his orange book away securely as both Sasuke and Sakura glared pointedly at him, before picking up his favourite goddaughter. "Mikoto-chan, haven't you grown since I last saw you!"

"Mmhmm!" Mikoto nodded seriously. "Otou-san taught me how to throw shuriken, and I'm tall enough to open doors by myself now!" she reported proudly. "Saya-chan says she misses Pakkun and your ninken…" If there was one singular reason why Kakashi loved his goddaughter so much it would be due to her affinity for dogs, and he listened to her prattle patiently, a smile visible through the outlines of his mask. Mikoto remained the only person who was allowed to tug down the blue mask whenever she wanted to (it was thanks to her that all of Konoha got their first glimpse of the elusive Copy-nin's very handsome face).

Sakura smiled, only half watching the drum performance as she leaned against Sasuke's shoulder contentedly, watching Mikoto giggle at Kakashi's scrunched-up face as he said something; watching Natsume cheer boisterously along with all the boys as he declared that he wanted to learn to play the taiko and began bugging his father about it. Sakura shuddered and hoped that _that_ would be a passing fancy – Natsume was loud enough at home without a taiko to accentuate his noise.

It wasn't long before Natsume's attention was captured by the next performance. Sasuke immediately turned to his wife, knowing her penchant to be indulgent when it came to their children. "We are _not_ having a taiko in the house," he hissed adamantly.

Sakura laughed at his stricken expression, and agreed wholeheartedly. "No, we aren't." She grasped the arm encircling her waist, smiling as Naruto all but skipped onto the stage to officiate the event in his hyperactive state.

"Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

"It's a lovely day."

"Aa."

N

The families separated to visit the booths set up for the festival. Gai and Lee were resolutely trying out every game stall there was, while Kakashi and Neji avoided the whirlwind duo like the plague before they could be presented with some silly rivalry challenge comprising throwing games and stuffed toys.

Naruto had had to issue a directive that no shinobi was allowed to have more than one go at each game stall – or the stall keepers would have found themselves without any prizes within the first half hour. Regardless, they had a good time – Mikoto definitely impressed her godfather when she set her aim on a stuffed dog at a ring-throwing game – and promptly won it on her first try. Kakashi would later claim, smilingly, that he had nothing to do with the win despite having grasped her hand to 'guide' her throw. Natsume, meanwhile, was a pro at goldfish-catching – the bulging plastic bag he carried boasting five fat goldfish was proof of that. Sasuke had to maneuver his son away from the stall before Natsume could beg for another try – the stall owner was already visibly twitching: _damned shinobi kids_.

Sasuke surprised Sakura while she was engrossed in a new medical handbook at the bookstore, Mikoto next to her. Her daughter seemed to have inherited her affinity for the healing arts, clutching the _Beginner's Medical Textbook_ (nostalgically, authored by Tsunade herself) in one hand while the other dragged her newly-acquired stuffed dog along. Kakashi had left Mikoto with her mother while he visited the more… _adult_ part of the bookstore, muttering something about a new Icha-Icha compilation published in Jiraya's memory. Sakura would _much_ rather not know.

"Sakura…"

"Mmph?" Sakura didn't look away from the book. Sasuke sighed - no one could ever distract the pink-haired kunoichi from a new medical text.

"_Sakura_," Sasuke spoke with a little more persuasion in his tone.

"Give me a minute, this is really interesting- oh!" she gasped as Sasuke enclosed her in an embrace from behind, slipping a beautiful, intricately-wrought silver book-marker into place on her page. It was candy-cane shaped, the edge hooking over the book spine while a red silk tassle dangled from the tip. He had commissioned it several months back, specifically requested for a cherry blossom etched upon the Uchiwa fan to be engraved on the marker.

"Happy anniversary."

Sakura was speechless for a long moment. "Sasuke - it's beatiful," she spoke, breathlessly. "Thank you." She bit her lip then, as if troubled. Sasuke made her turn around to face him. "What's wrong?"

Kakashi reappeared at this moment. Comprehending the situation quickly, he drew Mikoto away, leaving the couple alone.

Sakura glanced up at her husband sheepishly. "Well... you see... with the mission and all... I... forgot," she ended lamely.

"About our anniversary?" Sasuke had to laugh. "I thought forgetting important events was a trait reserved for men," he teased.

Sakura's cheeks flamed. "I'm sorry... I'll get you something, I promise!"

"I don't want anything. I already have you," Sasuke smiled, gently closing the book in her hands with the bookmark in between its pages. "Let's pay for the book, shall we? We'll be late for lunch."

Sakura smiled all the way to the cashier's, clutching the precious book and bookmark to her chest.

N

Naruto, inevitably, payed for lunch at Ichiraku's, grumbling all the way. Sakura had not been kidding when she said she would invite _everyone_.

"Freeloaders, all of you!" The Rokudaime Hokage muttered as his wallet was cleared out when the tab came.

"Just a little payback for all those times _we've _had to fund your ramen addiction, do-" Sakura cuffed her husband before he could finish the derogatory word.

Hinata, too, was pinching Naruto under the table, if his pained squirm was anything to go by, before the blonde loudmouth could return the name-calling favour in kind. Sakura was very proud of her friend, she definitely managed Naruto well.

"Well, you ungrateful bast-OW!" Naruto winced again halfway through his loud speech. Hinata smiled sweetly at him, and Naruto quickly straightened. "Well everyone, we've got a little surprise waiting for us at the third training ground... So if you would all gather there in abit."

Sakura looked at Tenten quizically. What surprise? Tenten's mysterious smile only piqued her curiosity. She looked to Sasuke for an answer, but the slight frown creasing his brow told her that he was just as clueless as she was.

"Come on, hurry up," Tenten was still smiling as she nudged Sakura towards the restaurant door, Ino and Hinata flanking her with the same mysterious smiles on their faces.

Sakura gave up the questions and obediently went along, carrying Mikoto.

Sasuke made to follow with Natsume in tow, but promptly froze at the restaurant door when his son piped up with a question.

"Otou-san, what does 'bast-ow' mean?"

He was going to _kill_ Naruto later.

N

"So what's all the fuss…?" Sakura questioned with her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed as she and Sasuke stood in the middle of the third training ground, surrounded by their closest friends, all wearing huge grins on their faces. This didn't quite bode well…

Naruto snapped his fingers, clearing his throat. Sakura rolled her eyes. He'd grabbed every opportunity to do that ever since he'd first learnt to snap his fingers a few months back.

The Rokudaime, however, was grinning widely. "Bring them out!" he called.

The crowd parted to allow Sai and Haku through, carrying a long wooden chest of dark mahogany. They set it down before the Uchiha couple, smiling and opening the lid.

The chest was lined with blood-red satin, and two weapons lay within it. Sasuke and Sakura stared at its contents, too startled to speak.

Naruto approached them, grinning widely. "It's your anniversary gift, from all of us." He picked up the long katana from the box – a weapon modeled exactly after Sasuke's lightning-enhanced sword – black hilt and sheath, with no guard. Sasuke thanked his friend quietly, and unsheathed the gift in a smooth, languid move, examining the blade. The Uchiha crest was engraved into the silvery metal near the hilt, and painted red and white. The weight and grip was exactly as he was comfortable with, and as he let his chakra collect in his sword arm, sparks of electricity danced on the surface of the blade. It had been painstakingly crafted with the wielder in mind.

Knowing that the gift was very much appreciated even without Sasuke saying anything, Naruto turned to face Sakura, grasping and lifting the second weapon from the box. It was a naginata – a long-handled weapon with a large, curved, single-edged blade. The solid wooden handle was black and polished, with gold trimmings. Cherry blossoms were carved into the handle and engraved into the blade, each blossom painstakingly painted a light hue of pink.

"Tenten said that you were getting good at using this," Naruto passed the weapon to Sakura with a satisfied smile. "So we had one made for you."

"Thank you, so much," Sakura smiled brightly at all her friends, lovingly examining the naginata, kneeling to show Mikoto and Natsume her new gift. "It's a wonderful anniversary gift."

"Oh, don't thank us," Tenten grinned mischievously, and Neji laughed behind her. "We expect something in return, of course."

Sasuke looked up sharply. "What?"

"Well, we want to see the present put to good use," Ino said coyly.

"So you two," Kakashi gestured to the couple, the orange book for once nowhere in sight, "are to be the closing performance for today's festival. Natsume, Mikoto, get over here."

Sasuke glared at Naruto. "This was unplanned," he hissed.

"Oh, it was planned. Just without your knowledge, that's all," Naruto said cheerfully, carefully edging away out of reach of Sasuke's new blade.

"I am _not_ going to spar against Sakura for your entertainment!"

"Oh, man up, Sasuke," Sakura said lightly, a tinge of laughter in her voice as she untied her obi.

"Sakura what are you doing-" Sasuke almost panicked, envisioning all the… _inappropriate_ thoughts running through the minds of the male populace currently present as his wife disrobed – in public!

"Getting ready to spar," Sakura replied innocently, slipping off her yukata to reveal her uniform just below it. A muted sigh of disappointment passed through the gathered crowd and Sasuke turned his glare on them. Sakura smirked and passed the garment to Tenten, who was almost dying of laughter.

Sasuke's emotions were in conflict as Sakura strode up to him and started tugging on his sleeve to lead him to the center of the training grounds, her weapon in hand. "Come on, Sasuke, I want to try my naginata out." She was going to get it from him when they got home later, he decided. She'd nearly given him a heart attack.

But for now, he gave in to her and let himself be dragged along.

"She's got you whipped, Uchiha!" Genma called, laughing. Sakura sent a glare in his direction, and Shizune clubbed him on the head. The two women smiled at each other in good understanding.

"You guys better back away!" Sakura called out as she took her stance opposite Sasuke, who unsheathed his sword calmly. The crowd of onlookers hurriedly shuffled back, giving them a wide berth – Sakura's reputation for destroying training grounds was, after all, legendary. Gai, Lee, Natsume and Mikoto had formed an impromptu cheer team at the sidelines, yelling their lungs out.

"Well, Sakura," Sasuke's stance was relaxed. "You asked for this, you realize."

Sakura smirked, adjusting her grip on her weapon and leveling the naginata at Sasuke, in a crouching stance. "Just shut up and spar with me, Sasuke."

N

Half an hour later, they were still going strong. Sakura planted the tip of her naginata into the ground and used it as a lever, vaulting over Sasuke just as his sword slashed towards her. Channeling her earth-based chakra through her weapon, Sakura let it travel through the blade into the small crack in the ground, in a thin line towards where Sasuke stood – and let it explode beneath his feet, crumbling the ground within a five-foot radius and sending debris flying. Sasuke had barely evaded it and came charging towards her, his katana pulsing with electricity.

Sakura yanked her weapon back up, gripping it with two hands and thrusting it before her to block Sasuke's blade with the handle. The force of the blow caused Sakura to stumble backward, and she tripped over the patch of uneven ground she'd created during the sparring session. Surprised, Sakura's right hand let go of her weapon and reached out towards Sasuke, who instinctively grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards him – only to find himself falling with her.

The couple let go of their weapons and Sasuke held Sakura closely so that she wouldn't suffer the brunt of the fall as they tumbled to a halt and lay there in each other's arms, breathing heavily from the exertion, unmoving.

"Oh gosh," Sakura gasped, "I tripped."

Sasuke looked at her gravely, nodding. "You tripped."

They both burst out laughing as loud wolf-whistles echoed from the crowd – they were still curled up together on the ground. Someone was yelling at them to get a room, but they heard none of it, suspended in their personal moment.

Natsume and Mikoto, not quite understanding the significance of wolf-whistles and 'getting a room', tumbled over to join their parents, Natsume diving in with a loud whoop proclaiming "GROUP HUG!"

Much to Sakura and Sasuke's horror, their spectator friends seemed to decide that Natsume's yell was an invitation to take part in the pile-on. Sakura instantly sat up, waving a threatening fist. "Come any closer and I swear you'll regret it!"

"Aw, Sakura-chan, you're no fun!" Naruto whined.

"Being crushed by all of you isn't my idea of _fun_," Sakura retorted as Natsume clambered into her lap, fighting for her attention.

"Tou-san, Kaa-san, that was AWESOME!" the excited boy bounced in his mother's lap. Mikoto merely nodded her head solemnly in agreement. Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances, smiling, and Sasuke drew his entire family into a comfortable embrace, content.

N

"… Mikoto bought that beginner's medical textbook that you wrote, shishou, remember that one? She's a really smart girl, even though she's only four and she's a lot like me… except without the temper. Kakashi and Sasuke really dote on her, you know. She's the only one allowed to pull down Kakashi's mask. And Natsume… he's a lot like Naruto. Sasuke complains all the time and wonders how we got a son that's like the Uchiha version of Naruto. Natsume's a great favourite with Kakashi too, I think Natsume reminds him of Obito. Natsume's really excited about going to the Academy next year, too. He's showing a lot of promise with jutsus, though his Sharingan hasn't manifested. He's really excited about that, too!"

Sakura knelt before the memorial, staring at Tsunade's name etched into the stone. It was evening now, she had come here while Sasuke brought the children home for a nap before dinnertime. She clutched a branch of cherry blossoms in her lap, speaking softly.

"I'm really happy, shishou. I just wish that you and tou-san and kaa-san and even Yuki-chan… could have been here to share this happiness with me. Sai is a really good man now, though he still remains painfully honest to a fault," Sakura laughed. "I hear he's seeing a girl… I'll tell you more when I wrangle the information out of him. Haku fits in perfectly now, he made it into ANBU. Naruto's a really good Hokage, like you knew he would be… even though he spends most of his time entertaining the village with his silly antics… but we still love him. He's a good leader. And Hinata's really good at him. You'd love seeing how she keeps him in line. Shizune's happy, too, with Genma. Though I don't think they plan on having any kids, so your only grandchildren are Natsume and Mikoto. Oh… and Asuma and Kurenai's daughter, Chiyuki, you remember her? Well, she's sixteen now, and a very pretty girl – Asuma's got his hands full scaring away all her potential suitors. Kurenai finds it incredibly funny, actually. Everyone is doing really well, too. Konoha's a beautiful place now, and it's really good to have our peace back. Gaara still keeps in touch with Naruto – oh, he's married, too, and his son is the _cutest_ thing –" Sakura's voice broke, and she paused to compose herself.

"I miss you, shishou. Every single day. Sometimes I go into Naruto's office and expect to see you there, demanding for more sake, or sprawled across your desk asleep. When I'm in the hospital working on a difficult case, I almost feel as if you'd appear and give me some kind of advice, tell me about some new healing technique that'll help the patient. But I know you're somewhere else, and that pushes me to work harder. I hope that you're proud of me, somehow."

Her voice trailed into silence.

"I brought cherry blossoms for you… I remember decorating your office with these every year during this festival… and you'd yell at me and Shizune cause you were so sick of cherry blossoms. And then you'd get even more pissed when I reminded you that you saw _me_ every day. We'd ignore you and continue filling your office with the flowers cause it was a festival, after all. Well, it's become an important day for me, so I hope that you won't mind that I brought you cherry blossoms after all," Sakura smiled, setting down her offering. "I did bring some sake, alright? So don't be angry." Sakura withdrew a bottle of expensive sake from her robes and placed it next to the flowers. "Share some with Jiraya-sama, won't you? And tell him that Kakashi just bought some Icha-Icha compilation that was published in his memory. He'd be happy about that. I bet Kakashi is holed up in his apartment, devouring the book now."

Sakura stood up and dusted herself off. "Well, I have to go… Sasuke's taking me out for dinner since Tenten agreed to babysit Natsume and Mikoto. I'd rather have a family dinner at home, but whatever suits his fancy, I suppose," she grinned. "I'll make sure Naruto stays in line, alright? And I'll see you sometime soon," she made a respectful bow towards the memorial, silently praying for everyone she had lost.

When she turned, Sasuke emerged from the cover of the trees, a small smile adorning his face. He held out an arm to her, and Sakura threaded her arm through his, enjoying his warmth.

Sasuke's onyx eyes stared into Sakura's emerald ones that shone brightly in the descending darkness, speaking of love, happiness, contentment. They were silent for a long moment.

"Shall we?" Sasuke tugged gently at her arm.

She smiled, and that was all he needed.

N

_THE END._

_Well… this is rather melancholic. I hate endings._

_It took me five years to complete this story… and it's imperfect, but I'll change nothing, because this story is very close to my heart – it is something of a coming-of-age story for me, as a writer. The first few chapters, personally, are unsatisfying, but I believe that I have matured throughout the course of this story._

_Five long years… I sincerely thank all my readers and reviewers who have faithfully made this journey with me as I wrote this story. I may have lost a few readers due to constant procrastination and late updates, and for that I truly apologize – but for those who have stood by this story, and supported me all throughout – you guys are amazing inspiration. Thank you for pointing out my mistakes and failings for they have helped me become a better writer. _

_I wanted to finish this story before midnight today, 31__st__ December 2010. It's a close of a story and a start of another. Many have asked me for a sequel, but I make no promises because I'm really busy now. If I do write another Naruto fic, it will be a NejiTen fic, which adopts some elements of this story but will not be a sequel… _

_Once again, thank you all. I would really appreciate it if you leave me a final review, regardless of whether if this story made you laugh, cry, hate, love… or whether if you've ever left a review before. If you haven't, please do – I'd like to think what your overall impressions of this story are._

_I love you guys for being there for me throughout – so here's to a Happy New Year to all and may you guys have a wonderful year ahead!_

_Cheers,_

_Rave-chan~~_

**_** EDITED (14 April 2012) - I have posted the prologue to a new AU GaaSaku story, 'Protected'. I hope you'll read it and tell me what you think! . Thank you~ _**

**_Rave-chan 3_**


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